Movie review «The Wages of Fear» / Le salaire de la peur

On March 29, Netflix premiered the action-adventure film «The Wages of Fear». This is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by French writer Georges Arnault, published in 1949, and at the same time a remake of its first film adaptation — a thriller starring Yves Montand, which was released four years later. That film has long since become a cinematic classic, having won top prizes at the Cannes and Berlin Film Festivals, as well as the British Academy. In the review below, we explain what the new movie can claim to be in terms of what it offers the viewer.

«The Wages of Fear» / Le salaire de la peur

Genre action adventure
Director Julien Leclercq
Starring Frank Gastambide, Alban Lenoir, Ana Girardot, Sofiane Zermani
Premiere Netflix
Year of issue 2024
Website IMDb

Nine months ago, an unnamed Arab country experienced a coup d’état. At the same time, Fred, a courageous bald bodyguard, decided to take possession of the easy money of the assassinated government official, taking his brother Alex on the case. But the guys clearly didn’t think it through, because right during the safe break-in, the latter is arrested and thrown in jail.

In the current timeline, the guilt-ridden hero, let’s call him Vin Diesel on minimum wage, takes on a very risky mission from an oil company. This way he can free Alex. Since one of the wells has failed near a godforsaken village, the only way to prevent a large-scale disaster is to blow up the facility. So a team of brave mercenaries will have to cross 800 kilometers of desert, controlled by heavily armed gangs, in trucks filled with nitroglycerin. The newest «The Wages of Fear» — is a remake that no one asked for. Given that Georges Arnaud’s novel of the same name has already received an outstanding French («The Wages of Fear» by Henri-Georges Clouseau, 1953) and at least a decent American («Sorcerer» by William Friedkin, 1977) film adaptation, the appearance of Julien Leclercq’s film seems very unnecessary.

Before we have time to get to know the characters properly, in the first five minutes, their clothes fly off and a love scene takes place that has no emotional impact. It’s just strangers and people we don’t really care about for a minute or two depicting passion on camera. A few minutes later, there is a betting fight in prison between Vin Diesel’s unlucky brother and a muscular bull, and try to guess who will win.And then the viewer is presented with a simple story about a journey full of dangers among the endless desert sands. The emphasis is more on the suspense at the stops than on the drive (checking documents at checkpoints, crossing a minefield, a shootout with armed militants, etc.), which is due to budgetary constraints rather than a desire to electrify the atmosphere. However, this quest is executed at such a primitive level that it’s hilarious.

Franck Gastambide, responsible for the infamous «Taxi 5» (2018), following the example of one popular street racer (or other bald transporter) tries to pretend to be impenetrable and skillfully tames the unruly gearbox. However, even in the sun-baked desert, his bald spot doesn’t shine as brightly as his Hollywood counterparts. Alban Lenoir plays a guy who is a shoemaker, a reaper, and a piper, because he can hit a man in the face, clear minefields with improvised means, and most importantly, he tolerates his idiot brother’s antics.

Closer to the pseudo-dramatic ending, the filmmakers come to their senses and remember that they are shooting for a Netflix release, not a VHS. So Ana Girardot’s character, Clara, will be remembered not only for her topless shots, but also for the scene where she throws explosives at her stubborn pursuers with the tenacity of a soldier from the post-apocalyptic future, let’s call him Kyle Reese.