Masterplan: Movie Review

Cast: Stanley Tucci, Simona Tabasco, Victor Belmondo
Director: Thomas Vincent

A very European take on the heist movie, Masterplan's flashiness serves it well as a light, frothy evening's entertainment, but once the film's finished, it's hardly likely you'll think on on it.

Which is a shame because director Thomas Vincent crafts together a pacy film about thieves Jay and Chiara, one an Italian cybercriminal (The White Lotus' Tabasco) and the other, an explosives expert (Belmondo) who are thrown together in an attempt to steal the Mona Lisa.

Spearheaded by Stanley Tucci's suave (and exceptionally well-dressed) former criminal Roger, the twist comes when he reveals to the pair that they are his estranged children, adding a more complex element to the stakes.

Or so you'd think.

Unfortunately, Masterplan is more interested in flashy cuts and zippy graphics, soundtracks and montages than the need to deploy much tension in this high-faluting adventure.

Despite Tucci delivering a more than capable performance that showcases his usual wit and charisma, the film's never quite sure of what it wants to achieve, other than zipping around locations, providing a chance to showcase a multi-international co-prod and just leaving the two thieves squabbling with each other (after initially awkwardly flirting).

As a result, Masterplan does what it says - and even with a final act twist, it never quite rises above its intentions, delivering a highly capable Friday night streaming choice. That's perfectly fine to do and given there are no real clangers of performances here for a script that hardly challenges its cast, it's perhaps enough.

But the biggest crime here is that Masterplan will steal away just under 2 hours of your time in a kind of streaming heist that'll leave you scratching your head where the time went and why you can't remember much about it after its credits have rolled.

Masterplan is streaming now on Prime Video.