Mubi has released the official trailer for Kelly Reichardt's new film, The Mentor , focusing on Josh O'Connor's character, JB Mooney's, preparations for an art house robbery.
The film takes place in 1970s Massachusetts, where O'Connor's unemployed carpenter turned amateur art thief plans his first serious crime. But as the film's line goes, "When things go wrong, your life unfolds."
In addition to O'Connor, The Mentor , which Reichardt wrote and directed, stars Alana Haim, Gaby Hoffman, John Magaro, Hope Davis, and Bill Camp and will be released on October 17.
The trailer opens with a shot of JB taking a newspaper out of his house to set the scene. He's seen at a family dinner, where his father (Camp) notes that he has "a fair amount of time" on his hands due to his lack of work.
"Just listen to me. It's a great opportunity to change my life," JB tells his mother (Davis) in a clip before being seen at an art museum. A subsequent clip shows him exchanging money with two men in a parking lot, while his conversation with his mother is still narrated. "But I'd have to rent a workspace and buy tools, which I don't have," he explains.
After JB completes the robbery, two men come to his house to discuss his involvement. "Look, James. We've been informed that you're confused by this robbery," one man says before JB replies, "I certainly don't know how you got on like this, but you've got the wrong idea. I'm afraid you have bad information."
The trailer ends with JB meeting with two men as they seemingly prepare for a robbery. However, they are interrupted when a woman asks who is in the basement with him. "The guys are here," he says, before she replies, "Hmm. Don't forget to lock the door."
The Mentor premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
In his review, The Hollywood Reporter film critic David Rooney praised Reichardt for creating a genre picture that eschews the usual tropes to focus on character, human failings, and the lengths people go to when faced with struggles.
