The Mastermind (2025)
Directed by: Kelly Reichardt
Premise: Set in the 1970s, an unemployed father (Josh O’Connor) plans a heist at a local art museum.
What Works: The Mastermind is set in the 1970s and it recreates the era well. The costumes and sets evoke the time period in an authentic and organic way. The story is set in middle class America and the domestic spaces are full of appliances and knickknacks from that time. There is also a messiness to the set design of The Mastermind that adds to the credibility. The filmmaking style recalls the films of that era, especially movies from the first half of the 1970s. This is not a story about heroism but about a deeply flawed character who gets himself into a mess that he can’t escape. The strongest aspect of The Mastermind is the portrait of the family, led by actors Josh O’Connor and Alana Haim. O’Connor’s character is unemployed and schemes to rob the local art museum, believing that he can sell the paintings on the black market. But this plot runs headlong into his responsibilities as a husband and father and his own incompetence. The marriage is coming apart and the tension between O’Connor and Haim’s characters feels real. There are also some effective moments between the father and his sons. They can tell something is wrong and the actors and filmmakers play these scenes effectively, drawing out the subtext through the subtleties of their performances. The end of The Mastermind is also impressive as the protagonist’s circumstances get bleaker and the story ends ironically.
What Doesn’t: The Mastermind is emotionally staid. It’s produced in a raw style that gives it a cinema verite quality but The Mastermind does not achieve the immediate emotional involvement that this filmmaking style usually embodies. The observational filmmaking keeps the viewer on the outside of the action and the characters at a distance. O’Connor’s character has very little depth. The filmmakers don’t reveal why he’s doing this and the few clues don’t add up to much. That in itself is the point. O’Conner’s character is a pathetic buffoon but the tone of The Mastermind isn’t quite funny or tragic. The Mastermind does not allow us to settle into a familiar narrative or emotional pattern. The film lands in an emotional void between different storytelling modes. The Mastermind requires more of the viewer than the average Hollywood picture. That’s to its credit but the filmmakers give us so little to work with that the picture is sometimes frustrating.
Bottom Line: The Mastermind feels overextended. It doesn’t offer enough empathy and the film feels emotionally cold. It’s made with a lot of craftsmanship and viewers who are willing to sit with The Mastermind may find its character study to be thought provoking.
Episode: #1073 (November 9, 2025)