This Mostly-Forgotten Zach Galifianakis and Owen Wilson Comedy from the Director of ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is Killing It on Paramount+

Admittedly, Masterminds is probably overlooked when it comes to Jared Hess‘s impressive oeuvre because it isn’t quite on par with the other projects he has undertaken. But since the release of his international hit film A Minecraft Movie, starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, it has seen a resurgence on Paramount+ and is inside the streamer’s top ten movie list. Zach Galifianakis and Kristen Wiig star in this movie based on the real-life 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery in North Carolina, but the ineptitude during the big heist shown by both, along with Owen Wilson, immediately reminded us of a less artful, poor man’s version of Wes Anderson‘s Bottle Rocket climactic heist sequence. You don’t need a crystal ball to see that this group of misfits’ attempt at robbing an armored car station isn’t going to end well. Hess, along with his wife and co-director, Jerusha Hess, is well known for taking on projects that elevate and feature larger-than-life fools who are blissfully unaware of their glaring-but-lovable inadequacies in movies like Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre, and the glorious cult classic indie film Gentlemen Broncos. Masterminds is more of the same oddball humor.

What Is ‘Masterminds’ About?

Masterminds is a light-hearted retelling of a doomed-to-fail armored truck robbery that occurred in the late 1990s. Galifianakis plays David Scott Ghantt, who is a strange Kenny Loggins look-alike, unhappy in his relationship with fiancée Jandice Gartrell (Kate McKinnon) and overwhelmed by the awkward allure of fellow armored truck company employee Kelly Campbell (Wiig). He is so enamored by Kelly that he is willing to be used as the point man in a hapless scheme to steal $17 million. Wilson plays Steve Chambers, a narcissist who happens to be the brightest bulb of the bunch, but that isn’t saying much considering the circles he runs in. He and Kelly are trying to set up David to take the fall for the robbery. Another SNL alum and Ted Lasso star, Jason Sudeikis, joins in on the fun as Mike McKinney, the ridiculous hitman tasked with tracking down David when he goes on the lam down in Mexico. It’s the blind chasing the blind watching these two play a misguided game of cat-and-mouse south of the border.

The Ensemble of Screwball Characters in ‘Masterminds’ Makes it Work

With a cast that includes Galifianakis, Wiig, Wilson, Sudeikis, and McKinnon, you are guaranteed to get a huge dose of wackiness that will provide some truly funny moments. And using comedy and off-the-wall players for a true-crime story, like a bank heist, is also something that you rarely get to see on screen. By giving his talented cast the artistic license to portray real-life people, Hess creates an art-imitated-life atmosphere, with some of the most accomplished comedic actors in the business adding their unique twists to the events. If it weren’t for the post-credits photos of the real-life people involved in the heist standing next to the actors who played them, the hijinks are so far out there, you wouldn’t have known this movie is based on a real robbery.

In Masterminds, Zach Galifianakis would be the next court jester to shoulder most of the load. And even though it is more of an ensemble effort than his other films, the movie is jam-packed with buffoons who have no idea how out of touch they are. Hess has really found a recipe that works in making heliocentric comedies featuring an unapologetic moron as the sun and a cast of clowns as the planets that orbit the lead. Again, don’t expect to be bowled over by the plot and devices used in Masterminds, but it is a fun popcorn movie that will deliver a couple of laughs and plenty of funny imagery.

Masterminds is currently available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.