The Mastermind’s first trailer spotlights Josh O’Connor as a carpenter turned thief

The Mastermind is an upcoming heist film that was screened in the main competition section of this year's Cannes Film Festival on May 23. It was also nominated for Palme d’Or, which is the festival's highest honor. Kelly Reichardt is the writer and director of the film. The film will be released on Mubi on October 17, 2025. Here's the official synopsis as per Letterboxd:

In a sedate corner of Massachusetts circa 1970, an unemployed carpenter turned amateur art thief plans his first big heist. When things go haywire, his life unravels.

The first official trailer has been released online, and it showcases Josh O'Connor as a carpenter turned thief.

The Mastermind trailer is out

The official trailer of The Mastermind runs for 2 minutes and 18 seconds, and it has been released by Mubi. The video opens with a family enjoying their dinner when James Mooney's father tells him he has a lot of free time, hinting that he is unemployed. James, who works as a carpenter, is looking for a job.

In subsequent scenes, we see him around an art museum as he tells his mother that he doesn't have the money to buy tools and rent out a space. The trailer shows him planning a major heist at the art museum. The trailer concludes with James planning the heist with some men in his basement. The video gives an overview of a carpenter turning into a thief because of his situation.

The film, set in the 1970s, is produced by Vincent Savino, Neil Kopp, and Anish Savjani for Mubi and Filmscience. Its cast members are:

Josh O'Connor as James Blaine Mooney
Javion Allen as Ronnie Gibson
Alana Haim as Terri Mooney
Sterling Thompson as Carl Mooney
Eli Gelb as Guy Hickey
Jasper Thompson as Tommy Mooney
Matthew Maher as Jerry
Cole Doman as Larry Duffy
Hope Davis as Sarah Mooney
Bill Camp as Bill Mooney
John Magaro as Fred
Gaby Hoffmann as Maude
D.J. Stroud as Edward Farber
Rhenzy Feliz

Kelly Reichardt has also edited The Mastermind, while Christopher Blauvelt is the cinematographer. Prior to its release, the film will also be screened at the 2025 New York Film Festival.

In a THR interview, Kelly discussed the film's origin,

"I’ve just always been interested in heists. I like to dig around and read about them when they come up —they’re fun to read about. And I read an article on the 50th anniversary of the art heist in Worcester, Massachusetts, from 1972. The article was about these teenagers who got caught up in an art heist at the Worcester Art Museum. That piqued my interest. So it was just a little seed for how to start telling this story."

She also said that the film mainly focuses on the aftermath of the heist rather than the act itself. Kelly has directed films like First Cow, River of Grass, and Wendy and Lucy, among others.

Are you excited about The Mastermind?