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The Burglar (2016) movie poster

Timeline

The Burglar (2016) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2016 · 98 mins · Hebrew
Directed by
Hagar Ben-Asher
Starring
Ronald Zehrfeld, Lihi Kornowski, Asaf Korman, Sendi Bar

Eighteen-year-old Alex lives with her mother in Arad, a remote desert town near the Dead Sea. When her mother mysteriously disappears, Alex finds herself alone and struggling to survive. To cope with her loss and sense of abandonment, she begins entering homes at night, not primarily to steal, but to experience the feeling of connection and intimacy she's lost.

Drama Cast, crew & box office
On this page (4)
  1. 1 Events in order (10)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Every angle

10 events in order · contains spoilers

The Burglar Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Burglar (2016) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Heist in Athens: The Emerald Theft

    In Athens, Azad, Ralph, Renzi, and Helen infiltrate M. Tasco's home while he is away and crack the safe to steal a suitcase of emeralds. They execute the theft with practiced precision, avoiding alarms and guards as they plunder the jewels. They slip away before Tasco can return, leaving with their loot.

    When
    During Tasco's absence
    Where
    Athens

  2. Detective Spots the Burglars

    Detective Abel Zacharia spots the burglars' car outside Tasco's residence, signaling that the break-in has drawn official attention. Azad then engages the detective in small talk, posing as a stranded salesman to buy time for the others. Zacharia departs, seemingly fooled and more determined to pursue the case.

    When
    Immediately after the break-in
    Where
    Tasco's residence vicinity

  3. Delay Before Departure

    With their departure from Greece planned around a merchant ship, the thieves discover that the vessel needs five days of repairs. They decide to stash the loot and disperse to minimize risk while awaiting repairs. The delay forces the group to part ways, heightening the danger they face.

    When
    During the ship's repair delay
    Where
    Port area near Athens

  4. Loot Hidden, Parting Ways

    They hide the emeralds in a secret stash and go their separate ways, counting on a future reunion once the ship is repaired. Each member maintains a low profile to avoid attracting law enforcement. The plan relies on patience, but the tension among them grows as the days pass.

    When
    During the ship's repair delay
    Where
    Various locations around Athens and port

  5. Zacharia's Double-Play

    Zacharia resurfaces with plans to claim the emeralds for himself, signaling a treacherous turn in the pursuit. He begins to track down the thieves and schemes to seize the fortune. The pursuit tightens as he shifts from observer to active antagonist.

    When
    After the heist
    Where
    Athens/Port

  6. Azad's Growing Feelings

    Azad develops feelings for Lena, complicating his previously cool approach to crime. Lena's involvement becomes a potential vulnerability as events unfold. The emotional entanglement tests Azad's judgment as danger closes in.

    When
    During the aftermath of the heist
    Where
    On the run / in hiding

  7. Betrayal Unfolds: Ralph Framed

    Zacharia pinpoints the thieves and frames Ralph for the crime, triggering Renzi's death and Ralph's arrest. The betrayal shatters the crew and deepens the law's pursuit. The plot thickens as danger closes in on all sides.

    When
    As Zacharia closes in
    Where
    Greece, near the crime sites

  8. Escape and Revelation

    Azad narrowly evades the police with Lena, only to discover Lena's collusion with Zacharia. The alliance fractures, and Azad realizes the full extent of the betrayal. The chase resumes with higher stakes as trust evaporates.

    When
    After Ralph's arrest
    Where
    Port or ship vicinity

  9. Final Confrontation in the Cargo Hold

    Azad and Zacharia clash in the cargo hold of the merchant ship, a brutal confrontation that ends with Zacharia buried beneath tons of wheat. The struggle leaves both men battered and shifts the balance of power aboard the vessel. The cargo hold becomes the arena for the final power struggle.

    When
    During the five-day repairs delay
    Where
    Cargo hold of the merchant ship

  10. Escape, but the Jewel Are Left Behind

    Azad eludes the police but has to leave behind the jewels buried under the wheat with Zacharia. The final turn underscores the film's theme that crime does not pay. With the emeralds out of reach and law closing in, the treasure remains hidden in the ship's hold.

    When
    End of the confrontation
    Where
    Cargo hold / ship

Last updated: February 03, 2026 at 07:41

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Timeline questions answered

The Burglar Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Burglar (2016): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Zacharia frame Ralph for the heist?

Zacharia frames Ralph to take control of the emeralds for himself. After spotting the burglars' car near Tasco's home, he becomes obsessed with claiming the stolen fortune rather than simply arresting the thieves. By pinning Ralph as the mastermind, Zacharia eliminates competition and creates an opportunity to track down and seize the emeralds without the other thieves knowing he is working for himself.

  • ralph
  • frame
  • zacharia
  • emeralds
  • betrayal
Q2

How does Lena betray Azad?

Lena was secretly colluding with Zacharia throughout the entire ordeal. After Azad narrowly escapes police with Lena, he discovers she has been working with Zacharia to set him up. This betrayal shatters the trust between them and reveals that Lena's romantic involvement with Azad was part of Zacharia's scheme to get close to the emeralds.

  • lena
  • betrayal
  • zacharia
  • azad
  • colludes
Q3

Why does Azad leave the emeralds behind in the cargo hold?

During the final confrontation in the cargo hold, Azad struggles with Zacharia and ends up burying him beneath tons of wheat. When Azad escapes the police, the emeralds are buried under the wheat with Zacharia's body. He cannot retrieve them without being caught, so he is forced to abandon the entire fortune, leaving it hidden in the ship's hold as he flees.

  • emeralds
  • cargo hold
  • wheat
  • zacharia
  • escape
Q4

How does Renzi die in the heist?

Renzi dies as a consequence of Zacharia's frame job on Ralph. When Zacharia pins Ralph as the mastermind of the crime, the police close in on the crew. Renzi is killed during the fallout of this betrayal, while Ralph gets arrested. This event devastates the group and leaves Azad with fewer allies as he tries to escape.

  • renzi
  • death
  • ralph
  • arrest
  • police
Q5

How does Zacharia die in the cargo hold?

Azad and Zacharia clash violently in the cargo hold of the merchant ship during the final confrontation. The struggle ends with Azad burying Zacharia beneath tons of wheat, a symbolic image of greed's crushing cost. Zacharia dies trapped under the weight of the grain, having failed in his attempt to steal the emeralds for himself.

  • zacharia
  • death
  • cargo hold
  • wheat
  • azad
Q6

Why does Detective Zacharia want the emeralds for himself?

After spotting the burglars' car near Tasco's residence, Zacharia becomes consumed with greed rather than simply doing his duty. Rather than arresting the thieves and turning over the stolen emeralds, he decides to claim the fortune personally. This corruption drives his entire investigation, leading him to scheme against the very criminals he should be pursuing.

  • zacharia
  • emeralds
  • greed
  • corruption
  • detective
Q7

Why do the thieves have to wait five days to escape?

The thieves plan to flee Greece aboard a merchant ship, but the vessel requires five days of repairs before it can depart. This forced delay forces them to hide the emeralds and scatter to different locations around Athens to avoid detection. The waiting period ultimately proves disastrous, giving Zacharia time to track them down and orchestrate his betrayal.

  • ship
  • repairs
  • delay
  • escape
  • athens
Q8

What happens to Ralph after Zacharia frames him?

Ralph is arrested after Zacharia pins him as the mastermind of the heist. This framing allows Zacharia to disrupt the thieves' escape plan while positioning himself to hunt down the emeralds. Ralph's arrest marks a turning point that leads to Renzi's death and leaves Azad with only Lena as his remaining ally.

  • ralph
  • arrested
  • frame
  • zacharia
  • police
Q9

Why does Azad develop feelings for Lena?

During the aftermath of the heist while hiding and waiting for the ship repairs, Azad finds himself drawn to Lena. Her involvement creates a personal connection that complicates his previously professional approach to crime. This emotional entanglement becomes a vulnerability that Zacharia exploits through Lena's betrayal.

  • azad
  • lena
  • feelings
  • romance
  • betrayal
Q10

What causes the heist to fall apart?

The heist begins to unravel when Zacharia spots the burglars' car and becomes obsessed with claiming the emeralds himself. His corruption leads him to frame Ralph, which triggers Renzi's death and Ralph's arrest. Then Lena's betrayal exposes the remaining thieves to Zacharia's scheme. Each betrayal compounds the next, ultimately destroying the crew and leaving Azad empty-handed.

  • heist
  • fall apart
  • betrayal
  • zacharia
  • crew

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Burglar, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Burglar tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Fast-paced crime spirals like in The Burglar

Stories where a single criminal act triggers a rapid, inescapable collapse. If you liked the relentless pace and fatalistic downfall in The Burglar, explore more movies like it. This collection features similar gritty crime thrillers where heists go wrong and betrayals lead to bleak, no-win outcomes for the characters involved.

  • suspenseful
  • gritty
  • fatalistic
  • cynical
  • paranoid
  • anxious
  • Tone: dark, cynical, tense
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread typically begin with a high-risk criminal endeavor that immediately goes awry. A linear, cause-and-effect sequence follows, involving double-crosses, corrupt forces, and a desperate fight for survival that ultimately proves futile. The journey is one of escalating chaos leading to a definitive, hopeless conclusion.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared high-intensity pacing, dark tone centered on corruption and betrayal, and a straightforward narrative drive towards a bleak ending. They deliver a specific vibe of gritty, fast-moving fatalism.

The Burglar movie poster

The Burglar

2016
711 Ocean Drive movie poster

711 Ocean Drive

1950
Gang Related movie poster

Gang Related

1997
American Heist movie poster

American Heist

2015
Squad 36 movie poster

Squad 36

2025
The Robbers movie poster

The Robbers

2009
Company movie poster

Company

2002
Beyond the Law movie poster

Beyond the Law

2019

Gritty survival stories like The Burglar

Characters pushed to their limits, surviving in a harsh, morally ambiguous landscape. For viewers who appreciated The Burglar's themes of survival and moral compromise, this list gathers similar movies. Discover other dramas and thrillers about individuals struggling to endure in a cynical world, often framed by crime and betrayal.

  • gritty
  • desperate
  • suspenseful
  • cynical
  • anxious
  • fatalistic
  • Tone: gritty, desperate, cynical
  • Pacing: steady, with tense peaks
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These stories follow an individual or small group fighting to stay afloat within a system stacked against them. The conflict is often external—corrupt officials, ruthless competitors, or sheer desperation—leading to a journey of hardening resolve and lost innocence. The focus is on the practical, often bleak, realities of staying alive.

Why they belong together: This grouping is defined by a shared gritty mood, a medium-to-high emotional weight centered on survival, and themes of moral ambiguity within a criminal or corrupt setting. The connection is the core experience of a character's desperate fight in a hostile world.

Upperworld movie poster

Upperworld

1934
Motherless Brooklyn movie poster

Motherless Brooklyn

2019
The Burglar movie poster

The Burglar

2016
The Guard movie poster

The Guard

2011
Bullet to the Head movie poster

Bullet to the Head

2013
Smart Money movie poster

Smart Money

1931
Naked Singularity movie poster

Naked Singularity

2021
The Dead Pool movie poster

The Dead Pool

1988

Every angle

The Burglar (2016) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Burglar in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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