The Wages of Fear | |
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Directed by | Julien Leclercq |
Written by |
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Based on | The Wages of Fear by Georges Arnaud |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Music by | Éric Serra |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Netflix |
Release date |
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Running time | 106 min |
Country | France |
Languages | French, Arabic |
Budget | €16,600,000 [1] |
The Wages of Fear is a French thriller film directed by Julien Leclercq and released in 2024 on Netflix. [2] The film is a new adaptation of the novel of the same name by Georges Arnaud. The film is also based on the screenplay of the 1953 film of the same name, directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. [3] [4]
In a desert nation undergoing revolutionary upheaval, four mercenary adventurers are commissioned by an oil corporation to undertake a high-stakes logistical operation. Their objective is to transport nitroglycerin, securely loaded onto two trucks, to extinguish a massive oil well fire threatening a refugee camp housing approximately 5,000 individuals, including the family of one of the operatives.
The mission requires traversing several hundred kilometers of hazardous desert terrain while circumventing numerous obstacles and dangers. In exchange for the successful completion of this perilous task, the mercenaries are offered substantial financial compensation. [5]
Chase Hutchinson of Collider stated: "While it was unlikely that this remake would ever come close to the original, which was itself based on a novel, just how far short it falls is almost impressive. The action, more built around sporadic shootouts and forced hand-to-hand fight sequences, is never even remotely thrilling... It is like a chasm is being opened up before us where you can see the brilliant heights of Clouzot’s film and the dire depths that this one just keeps falling further into. By the time it hits rock bottom, you’re just glad it's over." [6]
Padraig Cotter of ScreenRant wrote: "The Wages of Fear isn't terribly emotional and plays like a cross between a Fast and Furious movie and an extended Call of Duty mission. Still, in keeping with its Fast and Furious inspiration, family drama plays an important role." [7]