‘The Wages of Fear’ (2024) Netflix Movie Review - A Forgettable Remake

Henri-Georges Clouzot's 1953 film, The Wages of Fear, is considered a classic thriller. Pauline Kael called it "an existential thriller--the most original and shocking French melodrama of the 50s." In his review, Roger Ebert wrote that "the film's extended suspense sequences deserve a place among the great stretches of cinema." The "suspense sequences" in Julien Leclercq's remake deserve to be where they currently are: In the company of other mediocre Netflix titles. After watching this new The Wages of Fear, I wanted to see the 1953 thriller to observe how exactly Clouzot handled the obstacles in his material.

In the remake, Leclercq almost mutes the soundscape when the characters come across mines or armed men. These hurdles should have elevated the tension. They should have left us nervous. They, however, unfold in a controlled manner. You are able to see what the director is trying to do during these sequences, but you don't experience the stress or the excitement he is aiming for. While I have not seen Clouzot's thriller, I couldn't shake off the feeling that Leclercq was simply inspired by all the hiccups in the original. This is why you can see him flexing his cinematic muscles whenever the characters face troubles.

Alas, these sequences fail to be memorable. We are, both visually and verbally, informed about the dangers of carrying nitroglycerin - a very explosive liquid packed in small cylindrical containers. A single container falls on the ground and creates a massive explosion. Alex (Alban Lenoir) drips small quantities of the liquid on a rock to clear a rocky barrier. After firmly establishing its fatal powers, the camera often cuts to the shots of the shaky nitroglycerin containers to evoke a sense of trepidation in the viewer. After seeing this image for the second or third time, you stop feeling anxious because it becomes clear that nitroglycerin will never blow up the truck. Meaning: The main characters will make it to the climax. When other characters - who never become anything more than stick figures - die, you react like Gauthier (Sofiane Zermani): You remain unemotional. They clearly look like disposable targets/victims.

Instead of defining them with generic shades, Leclercq could have raised the stakes by working on his characters. Clara (Ana Girardot) is Fred's (Franck Gastambide) girlfriend. Fred and Alex are brothers. The relationships are as deep as these one-word descriptions. A flashback tells us why Alex is in jail and does nothing more than that (the scenes set inside the house of Fred's client are utterly feeble). Fred's gunshot wound, and Gauthier's betrayal, every piece fits into its place, giving rise to a story with no loose ends. In the end, some characters look sad while children run happily in the frame. The audience, on the other hand, expresses relief when the movie ends but also feels disappointed with this forgettable remake.

Final Score- [3.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times