Ever since he portrayed the then-Prince of Wales Charles III in the third season of The Crown, Josh O’Connor has been in the spotlight as one of the most talented and promising actors in the industry. As the SceenRant Exlclusive image for his new movie, Disclosure Day, reveals, he’s been cast opposite Emily Blunt in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming 2026 film.
Steven Spielberg is the latest in an impressively long line of famous directors that O’Connor has worked with, the most recent instance being Rian Johnson, for his 2025 movie, Knives Out 3. Josh O’Connor also has a good Rotten Tomatoes streak spanning a decade, during which, all of his films have been approved by critics, earning him strong critical acclaim.
Despite no Golden Globe nominations, the 2026 Oscars are expected to still be big for O’Connor, who has delivered one of his best performances this year. In fact, his two biggest films of 2025 share an interesting aspect that puts his performances in them at opposite ends while demonstrating his range, as he seamlessly jumps in and out of roles.
Josh O’Connor Is One Of 2025’s Most Prolific Actors
Pedro Pascal fatigue may have been invented by social media to deal with seeing him everywhere, but in terms of movie appearances, no other actor in Hollywood has had a bigger year than Josh O’Connor. Starting off with his Sundance 2025 movie, Rebuilding, O’Connor has led an impressive number of movies this year, all of which were loved by critics.
Then came The History of Sound, which premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d’Or award. There is no stronger evidence to prove that 2025 has been the biggest year in Josh O’Connor’s career than the fact that he’s starred in two Palme d’Or contenders this year, the second being Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind.
As if being the lead actor in three critically acclaimed films wasn’t enough, O’Connor then starred as the leading man in Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. It has become one of Netflix’s most popular movies this year, and might lead its Oscars campaign alongside Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and the record-breaking movie, KPop Demon Hunters.
Wake Up Dead Man Is A Stylish And Gothic Murder Mystery
Wake Up Dead Man is one of the best threequels in recent memory, as it brings the Knives Out franchise back to its roots with a murder mystery that is reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s work in both setting and narrative structure. A curious host of characters with varying degrees of motivation as suspects is portrayed perfectly by the ensemble cast.
To make it even more engrossing, Wake Up Dead Man’s setting is a gothic suburb in America, where an air of mistrust quickly spreads in the wake of a murder. It’s also perfectly suited to inexplicable Biblical miracles that make people question their senses. The sinister atmosphere of the place is ideal for a detective to investigate a perfect murder.
The Mastermind Is A Slow And Quiet Thriller
On the other hand, The Mastermind is a slow-boil crime thriller where you follow the events through the perspective of a criminal, played by Josh O’Connor, who instead plays the innocent man who contacts the detective in Wake Up Dead Man. O’Connor is the titular mastermind in Kelly Reichardt’s movie, whose life gradually unravels after he leads a poorly-planned robbery.
The Mastermind is bathed in light and has a dreamy atmosphere of meticulousness. We watch O’Connor’s character carry out mundane tasks in great detail, and despite the suspense of his actions’ consequences catching up with him, we never feel rushed. It is a patient character study that is invested in exploring the gloomy sense of loneliness that plagues the protagonist.
Josh O’Connor’s Performance Elevates Both Movies
A movie like The Mastermind is impossible to make without a strong leading performance. O’Connor occupies most of the film’s screentime, and his character’s nonchalant, casual, and pathetic persona is compelling largely due to the actor’s commitment to the bit. Despite his aloof nature, you become invested in his life because O’Connor’s composed performance intrigues you as a curious viewer.
In contrast, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is very reliant on you knowing its characters thoroughly. It’s in the intricate details of their personalities that you find the hints which help you keep up with Benoit Blanc as he attempts to solve this impossible crime. Josh O’Connor’s expressive performance thus pulls you in with its dramatic theatricality.
The Mastermind Should Be More Popular
While being a Netflix movie hurt Wake Up Dead Man’s chances at the box office, it became an overnight hit on streaming. It could become the new golden standard in mystery filmmaking, much like Knives Out was. Unfortunately, The Mastermind, despite its high Rotten Tomatoes score of 90%, hasn’t become as popular. It’s stayed underrated, like every Kelly Reichardt film.