Kelly Reichardt’s latest film “The Mastermind” just might be her very best. It’s a movie that highlights the filmmaker’s most noteworthy strength, namely the hushed realism that defines her perspective. It’s also a movie that includes her most frustrating habit which is her tendency of being observational to a fault. Yet without question, her strength outweigh the frustration in this mostly absorbing character study posing as a crime drama.

“The Mastermind” is the second 2025 film to feature a brilliantly understated Josh O’Connor lead performance (the other being “Rebuilding” – don’t miss that one). Here he plays James Blaine “J.B.” Mooney, an unemployed husband and father of two living in the sleepy Massachusetts suburb of Framingham. The story is set in 1970 with the growing discontent over the Vietnam War often playing out in the background. It’s a small detail that relays the pulse of the nation. But Reichardt also uses it as a larger scaled reflection of J.B.’s plight.

We first meet J.B. at the Framingham Museum of Art with his wife Terri (a wonderfully subdued Alana Haim) and their two sons, Tommy (Jasper Thompson) and Carl (Sterling Thompson). It looks like a fun family outing. But in reality J.B. is using their trip to case out the museum for a heist. In vintage Thomas Crown form, J.B. masterminds a full-proof plan and recruits other thieves to execute it. But when one gets cold feet, J.B. is forced to join Guy Hickey (Eli Glen) and Ronnie Gibson (Javion Allen) on the job.

To no surprise, the heist doesn’t go off as seamless as planned, but the trio does escape with four valuable Arthur Dove paintings. The three go their separate ways, with J.B. hiding the paintings until he can find a buyer. And this is where the bulk of the movie unfolds. Reichardt pulls inspiration from classic heist movies and the real-life 1972 Worcester Art Museum robbery in presenting the heist itself. But the job only takes up a small chunk of the movie.

Instead Reichardt is more interested in the aftermath which sees J.B. in way over his head. Warning signs were everywhere before they set foot into the museum. He has to con his mom into giving him money to fund the job. His driver bails on him the day before the heist. He even forgets his boys are out of school that day, forcing him to find a sitter. Yet he carries on – a sign of his bad judgment and self-delusion. But things only get worse after the heist. And the more things go awry, the more Reichardt’s genre reinvention surprises.

Reichardt offers more insight through J.B.’s bumpy family dynamic. We see he’s a disappointment to his pompous and locally prominent father, Bill (Bill Camp) but is secretly coddled, often financially, by his adoring mother, Sarah (Hope Davis). Meanwhile his wife Terri buries her frustrations the best she can. She knows her husband’s shortcomings yet silently serves as the backbone of the family, working a day job while managing the household. Haim isn’t given much to do but she conveys a lot in the moments she has. She impresses enough that I would watch a spin-off movie focused on her character alone.

Equally important is the evocative period design which masterfully recreates the rich textures of 1970 via the sharp eyes of production head Anthony Gasparro and costume genius Amy Roth. It’s all captured through the warmly lit lensing of Christopher Blauvelt. Together they paint a visually alluring canvas that vividly represents the period down to the smallest details – a station wagon’s roll-up rear window, the pull tab on a can of Pepsi, the plastic eggs that held L’eggs Pantyhose.

While most everything in “The Mastermind” clicks, there are a couple of instances where Reichardt’s tendency of overextending a scene comes into play. Studied fans may find purpose in these moments where others might see indulgence. But it’s a small gripe compared to the overall strength of Reichardt’s smart and savvy anti-heist film. From the presentation to the performances to Rob Mazurek’s jazz-fueled score, “The Mastermind” is a film that finds depth and meaning in the most ordinary corners of life. And I found myself hooked from the very start.

VERDICT – 4 STARS