When will The Mastermind premiere? Release date, cast details, first look, and more

The Mastermind, slated for a 2025 release, is a drama by Kelly Reichardt, who not only wrote but also directed the feature. Renowned for her character‑centric narratives in films, like First Cow and Certain Women, Reichardt now ventures into a realm marrying her hallmark low‑key realism with the jittery high‑stakes atmosphere of a 1970s art heist.

The cast features Josh O’Connor, Alana Haim, Hope Davis, John Magaro, Gaby Hoffmann, and Bill Camp.

Featuring a 1970s backdrop and stellar performances, the film is already being hailed as one of Reichardt’s most ambitious and visually arresting works. After its glittering world debut at Cannes, The Mastermind set off on a circuit that took it to the New York Film Festival and then to Sydney, where it earned a nomination for the Sydney Film Prize.

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When and where will The Mastermind release?

When The Mastermind first premiered on the Cannes screens on May 23, 2025, it earned a coveted Palme d’Or nomination. In the wake of that debut, Mubi stepped in to acquire the rights and mount a U.S. Release for October 17, 2025.

The project was first announced in September 2024, with production handled by Filmscience and financed by Mubi. By November that year, principal photography was already in swing as producers Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani, and Vincent Savino reunited with Reichardt, where Kelly Reichardt has also served as an editor of the movie.

Rob Mazurek has provided the music to the movie, and it has a runtime of approximately 110 minutes.

Josh O’Connor was the first to sign on, then Alana Haim and John Magaro, and the rest of the ensemble filled out the roster by 2024.

Following a triumphant festival circuit, the movie arrived on Mubi in the United States on October 17, 2025.

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What is The Mastermind about and who stars in it?

The Mastermind (Image Via Mubi)

James Blaine Mooney, a 1970s family man whose quiet suburban routine conceals a startling second identity as an art thief. Beneath the facade, he weaves a web of deceit, methodically plotting and executing daring, high‑risk heists that target priceless masterpieces.

The film’s story is directly inspired by the 1972 robbery of the Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts, when thieves vanished with a trove of works, including pieces by Picasso and Rembrandt.

The movie features Josh O'Connor as James Mooney. O'Connor, known for his work in The Crown and Challengers, stars in an ensemble cast that includes Alana Haim as Terri Mooney, his wife, who starts to sense that there is something not quite right about her husband's life and that is when things start to go wrong.

Hope Davis plays Sarah Mooney, Bill Camp plays Judge William Mooney, John Magaro plays Fred, and Gaby Hoffmann plays Maude in the supporting cast.

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The movie opened at Cannes on May 23, 2025, and opened theatrically in the U.S. on October 17, 2025.