Kevin Sakac Proves Cheap Productions Isn’t Thinking Cheaply
Major Tom is the kind of short film that walks into the room already feeling like a feature trying to break out of its own skin. Set against the smoky paranoia of the Cold War, it follows elite CIA operative Tom as he is dispatched to capture none other than Che Guevara, yes, that Che. What begins as a straightforward mission spirals into a web of political intrigue so tangled you half expect the screen to lean in and whisper, “Are you keeping up?”
Kevin Sakac, head of Cheap Productions, doesn’t shy away from ambition. In fact, he seems to court it. The film bristles with elements that would be impressive even in a full-length thriller, a pulse-tightening original score, sharp editing that knows exactly when to cut and when to let tension simmer, and locations that look far pricier than they likely were. The action choreography lands with precision, every movement measured, every hit echoing with the grit of old-school espionage cinema.
And let’s talk about the writing. For a short film, it’s unusually layered, weaving political stakes with personal doubt. You can almost feel Tom’s mind working beneath each decision, each hesitation. The casting helps tremendously.
Still, Major Tom isn’t without turbulence. The pacing stumbles in places, lingering a shade too long where momentum should sharpen. The cinematography occasionally drifts into inconsistency, flashes of inspired framing interrupted by shots that feel more functional than artistic.
But here’s the constructive truth, Major Tom feels like a project bigger than the format that contains it. The directing is competent, sometimes even bold, but you sense the film yearning for just a bit more stylization, a stronger visual voice. A touch more atmosphere in the framing, and this could easily stand shoulder-to-shoulder with feature-length political thrillers.
Even so, Sakac delivers something undeniably engaging, a short that aims high, lands hard, and refuses to play small. Isn’t that, after all, what espionage stories are all about, leaping headfirst into danger, hoping the mission pays off? Major Tom takes that leap. And for the most part, it sticks the landing.
