With upcoming roles in “Wake Up Dead Man” and Steven Spielberg‘s next blockbuster, in theaters in June 2026, Josh O’Connor will soon no longer be a favorite UK indie actor, but, in all likelihood, a Hollywood leading man. An inevitable development for such a talent? Maybe. But roles like those feel like a far cry from O’Connor’s sweet spot, like his parts in “In God’s Own Country,” “La Chimera,” and, of course, last year’s “Challengers.”
So maybe his starring role in Kelly Reichardt‘s “The Mastermind” is a potential swan song for a certain stage in O’Connor’s acting career, that last role in the modestly budgeted films he’s thrived in before he becomes a fixture in other kinds of films. The irony here: “The Mastermind” is Reichardt working with her biggest budget ever, and with positive reviews out of its world premiere at Cannes, this film may be a sleeper pick for some prizes come awards season.
Here’s an official synopsis for “The Mastermind,” courtesy of MUBI:
In a sedate corner of Massachusetts circa 1970, JB Mooney (Josh O’Connor), an unemployed carpenter turned amateur art thief, plans his first big heist. When things go haywire, his life unravels.
Along with O’Connor, “The Mastermind” also stars Alaina Haim, Gabby Hoffman, John Magaro, Hope Davis, and Bill Camp.
Reichardt writes and directs “The Mastermind,” as she does for all her pictures; she also edits the film.
As noted earlier, “The Mastermind” had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, garnering positive reviews from critics. The Playlist’s review wrote that the film is “Reinhardt working with a bigger budget and a larger scale, but she never loses her languorous, absorbing sensibilities as a filmmaker,” awarding it a B+ score.
After “The Mastermind” screens at the New York Film Festival, it hits theaters on October 17, courtesy of MUBI. Watch the new trailer for the film below.
