MAJOR TOM (2025)
A spoiler-free review by Kraken Film Reviews
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Kevin Sakac
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Kevin Sakac
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France, Mauritius
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Kevin Sakac
Mélinda Martinho
Nicolas Lenerand
Sebastien Hagenbach
Erwan Ott
Elena Jevtic
Valentin Didier -
34 minutes
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War
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French
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Kevin Sakac's ambitious short film "Major Tom" (2025) throws viewers headfirst into the shadowy world of Cold War espionage, delivering a surprisingly tense and visually compelling 34-minute thriller on a budget of 16,000 EUR.
The Story?
Elite CIA agent Tom is handed the explosive mission to capture the iconic revolutionary Che Guevara. What seems like a high-stakes manhunt rapidly spirals into a labyrinthine political conspiracy, forcing Tom to question his orders and navigate treacherous ground where allies and enemies blur.
Sakac masterfully conjures that classic Cold War paranoia. Shot in crisp digital with a cinematic 2.39:1 aspect ratio, the film breathes. Locations, especially Mauritius doubling for more volatile climes, feel expansive yet strangely claustrophobic – perfect for a spy feeling the walls close in.
Action as Language
Major Tom masterfully adopts a "show, don’t tell" approach, particularly in its central act where dialogue recedes and visceral action takes narrative precedence.
In these sequences, the film deliberately forgoes exposition, instead allowing the audience to glean character motivations, emotional states, and even world-building details through the choreography and consequences of violence.
This mirrors the ethos of films like John Wick (2014), where sparse dialogue and elaborate fight choreography convey character motivation and world-building more powerfully than exposition.
The protagonist’s skills, resolve, and emotional turmoil are revealed not through lengthy monologues but through the precision and intensity of fight scenes. Every blow, dodge, and moment of hesitation becomes a narrative beat, conveying information about the characters and their world without a single word spoken.
But while both films weaponize action as narrative, their purpose diverges: for example John Wick uses violence as vengeance poetry (the "dog motif" justifying carnage), Major Tom frames action as political necessity. Tom’s fights lack catharsis; each kill deepens his entanglement in the conspiracy, visualized through the sterile, blue-tinted cinematography during battles.
By focusing on physical action, Major Tom invites viewers to actively interpret.
The visceral impact of violence—how characters react to pain, how they adapt under threat, and how they assert dominance or vulnerability—becomes a language in itself.
While Major Tom excels in delivering gripping action and visual spectacle, it does fall slightly short in the emotional department. For much of its runtime, the film prioritizes momentum and physical conflict over deeper emotional engagement, with genuine sentiment surfacing only in the final moments.
This choice, while keeping viewers entertained and on the edge of their seats, sometimes results in a narrative that feels a bit rushed or detached from the characters’ inner lives. However, the film compensates with impressive action and choreography that elevate the production value, immersing the audience in its world.
Female soldiers
One of the standout qualities of Major Tom is its refreshingly grounded portrayal of a female soldier—completely free from the tired trap of over-sexualization that so often shadows women in action films. Rather than dressing her as eye candy or framing her through a lens that panders to the male gaze, the film treats her as a bona fide warrior whose value lies in her grit, skill, and unwavering determination. This is a welcome departure from the usual cinematic shorthand where female fighters are too often reduced to little more than pin-up figures in combat gear.
Drawing on feminist film theory, particularly Laura Mulvey’s critique of the “male gaze,” Major Tom consciously rejects the notion that female characters must be objectified to be compelling. Instead, the female soldier’s presence commands respect because of what she does, not how she looks.
Her uniform is practical, her movements purposeful, and her role essential—she’s not there to be ogled but to get the job done. This approach injects a sense of authenticity and seriousness into her character, making her feel like a real person rather than a costume change.
Major Tom joins this conversation, proving that female soldiers can be fierce, nuanced, and utterly captivating without a hint of gratuitous sexualization. Kudos to Kevin for writing and directing this.
The action
On this budget, you won't get city-flattening explosions, and that's a good thing.
Instead, the action is sharp, grounded, and palpably dangerous, emphasizing the raw, desperate physicality of survival rather than flashy set pieces. Each punch, each gunshot, carries real weight because the audience is deeply invested in Tom’s perilous journey. The tension feels immediate and earned, making the stakes feel tangible rather than manufactured through CGI extravagance.
Time shifts
Adding to the film’s complexity are numerous time shifts woven throughout the narrative. While these jumps in chronology can occasionally feel overwhelming, they ultimately enrich the storytelling by layering context and emotional depth.
These temporal shifts contribute significantly to the production’s value, allowing the film to reveal character motivations and plot twists in a more dynamic and engaging way.
By juggling past and present, Major Tom invites viewers to piece together the story actively, enhancing immersion and narrative sophistication despite its budgetary constraints.
Together, the grounded action and inventive narrative structure create a compelling experience that proves high-impact storytelling doesn’t require blockbuster resources—it demands precision, creativity, and a clear focus on what truly matters: the characters and their survival.
Welcome to the jungle
Filming in the jungle is notoriously difficult, and Major Tom deserves credit for pulling it off with skill. The dense foliage, unpredictable weather, and challenging terrain make every day on set a test of endurance and adaptability.
High humidity and sudden rainstorms can wreak havoc on equipment and schedules, while limited natural light under the thick canopy forces constant adjustments to capture clear shots.
Given these hurdles, it’s clear that Major Tom’s production team went above and beyond, making a strong case for the film to be widely available on streaming platforms where more viewers can appreciate the effort behind its immersive setting.
Complementing the raw, natural backdrop is the film’s striking graphic design and intro sequence, which are remarkably polished and evocative. The opening credits carry the sleek, stylized vibe of a high-end TV series theme, immediately setting a professional tone and drawing viewers into the story world.
This level of craftsmanship in the visual presentation not only enhances the film’s aesthetic appeal but also signals a production quality that rivals longer-form content, making Major Tom feel like a fully realized narrative experience despite its short format.
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