A low-budget indie short from Loyola-Marymount MFA student Naveen Sagar, The Burglar is an involving mystery/thriller centered around Joe (Jared Scott-Mills), a burglar who breaks into the McCoon residence hoping for a big score but instead finding himself smack dab in the middle of a deadly trap. 

Shot over the course of a weekend on an ultra-low budget of around $1200 for a Loyola Marymount production class, The Burglar reveals Sagar's promise as a filmmaker while also displaying a lot of the issues that frequently show up in microcinema projects. It's a difficult task as an up-and-coming filmmaker to open yourself up to feedback on your early works, but it's an essential component to continued growth. 

The Burglar's cast is solid including Mills as Joe and especially Sally Maersk as Cassi, whose involvement builds in intrigue throughout the film's 9-minute running time. You won't be completely surprised by how The Burglar unfolds, but you'll enjoy the journey anyway. 

Alex Alvarado's lensing is creative throughout, while David Fesliyan's original music complements the film's escalating action quite nicely. 

While The Burglar is a middling effort in overall impact, there's good stuff going on here including Sagar's eye for escalating tension and for building the drama between his characters. It'll be fun to watch Sagar's career continue as he works toward his MFA and moves on into the film scene. 

For more information on The Burglar, visit the film's IMDB page linked to in the credits. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic