The Remake Of A 1953 Action Thriller Is Blowing Up On Netflix Right Now

A remake of a classic French film from 1953 is just the latest pulse-pounding action thriller to dominate on Netflix.

The '50s are filled with tons of great action gems that often go unnoticed by modern audiences, like "The Wages of Fear." Groundbreaking, raw, and intense, director Henri-Georges Clouzot's film became one of the most popular of that decade, winning the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Widely considered a staple of the action genre, it has been a source of inspiration for several filmmakers, including Julien Leclercq, who recently debuted his remake of Clouzot's original on Netflix. Simply titled "The Wages of Fear," the 2024 version has emerged as the most popular offering on the streaming service worldwide.

"The Wages of Fear" 2024 is a true global phenomenon; it's the number one film on Netflix in France, Belgium, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and more as of April 1, 2024, and in the top ten in dozens of other countries. But despite being so heavily streamed, "The Wages of Fear" is a critical dud that reviewers say doesn't compare to the explosive original. Collider critic Chase Hutchinson gave the Netflix remake a 3/10, writing, "Where the original remains a work of art that is as entertaining as it is well-made, this remake proves to be nothing more than an empty and thunderously stupid approximation of an action film." Audiences aren't loving the film either; users on the film-centric social media website Letterboxd, for example, have awarded the picture a 2.4/5 average star rating.

"The Wages of Fear" 2024 follows a group who have to transport trucks filled with nitroglycerine to put out a deadly fire that's at risk of causing a major explosion. It's basically the same plot as the 1953 movie, though the modern version ramps up the action compared to the original. Henri-Georges Clouzot's movie is less action-packed and economical with its storytelling, standing out at the time because of its grit and realism, while the 2024 remake is much more in line with contemporary action fare. The newer version is also leaner and meaner, coming in at 104 minutes, while the OG, which is currently available to stream on Max and The Criterion Channel, is over two hours long.

It's interesting to note that this isn't the first remake of the 1953 French film. Howard W. Koch loosely adapted the original with his 1958 picture "Violent Road," which has a 6/10 score on IMDb. The most prominent English-language remake of "Wages of Fear" didn't come out for another two decades, however. In 1977, "The Exorcist's" late director, William Friedkin, helmed an American version of the film titled "Sorcerer." Arguably one of the most tense films from that decade and widely underrated, Friendkin's version was a box office bomb. But despite its financial failure, "Sorcerer" is considered by cinephiles to be the best remake of "Wages of Fear," which is exemplified by its 82% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Love "The Wages of Fear" and want to check out more heavy-hitter movies? Here are the 30 best thrillers to watch on Netflix.