Warning: Major spoilers for The Wages of Fear (2024) below!
Netflix’s remake of The Wages of Fear sure looks like it stars Vin Diesel, so where is the confusion coming from? The original Wages of Fear is a nerve-shredding black-and-white thriller from 1953. This Henri-Georges Clouzot-helmed adventure sees a group of men hired to drive trucks filled with unstable nitroglycerine over dangerous terrority to extinguish a blazing oil fire. The movie is considered a classic now, with Christopher Nolan citing The Wages of Fear’s focus on “pure suspense” as an inspiration for his 2017 war epic Dunkirk (via Premiere).
The film has been remade many times across the decades too, including as 1958’s Violent Road. Even the basic concept of characters being forced to travel with dangerous explosives over tough terrain has been recycled in movies like Vertical Limit or “The Believer” episode of The Mandalorian. Netflix’s 2024 movie remake of The Wages of Fear adds a modern-day coat of paint to the idea, where a group of characters has to drive trucks filled with explosives across an unstable Middle Eastern country to save a village.
Wages Of Fear 2024 Stars Franck Gastambide, Not Vin Diesel
Wages of Fear 2024 is leaning into its Fast and Furious comparisons
Netflix’s Wages of Fear bears little resemblance to the original film. Instead, it feels like a Fast and Furious movie mixed with a Call of Duty game, complete with all the gunfights and explosions that implies. French star Franck Gastambide fronts Wages of Fear as Fred, whose resemblance to Vin Diesel is so strong it might cause viewers some serious double takes while watching.
With their clean-shaven heads, furrowed brows and muscular physiques, Gastambide and Diesel could be mistaken for brothers if placed side by side. Of course, Vin Diesel doesn’t appear in The Wages of Fear 2024, even if Franck Gastambide’s physical resemblance and the focus on car chases and explosions make it feel that way. This revival leans into the Fast and Furious links even further, with family being a key part of the story.
A series of flashbacks to Fred’s past reveals his guilt over forcing his brother Alex (Alban Lenoir) to take part in a heist. This heist went sour, so while explosives expert Alex was caught and sent to prison, Fred got away clean; The Wages of Fear’s mission sees the latter trying to reconnect with his estranged brother. This sappy subplot gives the remake some heart, though it lacks the cheesy sincerity at the core of the Fast and Furious saga.
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Franck Gastambide Often Makes Fun Of His Vin Diesel Resemblance
The Wages of Fear’s leading man is all too aware of the Vin Diesel gags
Various reviews for The Wages of Fear remake (via Rotten Tomatoes) have cited Gastambide’s almost uncanny similarity to Diesel. The actor himself has had tongue-in-cheek fun with this observation over the years too. A case in point is the 2016 French comedy Pattaya, which Franck Gastambide both directed and starred in. During Pattaya, Gastambide’s character Franky is seen working out in a room filled with Vin Diesel movie posters like The Pacifier or (naturally) various Fast and Furious installments.
Franky even dons a white vest and sunglasses to complete the look. Later in the same movie, Gastambide’s protagonist wears a Vin Diesel tank top. Those following the actor on X/Twitter can see some delightful Vin Diesel posts too, including Gastambide posing with the star himself in a 2023 picture. The Wages of Fear isn’t trying to trick unsuspecting viewers into believing Diesel appears in the film, though Gastambide’s casting is an indicator of the bombastic tone the remake is aiming for.
Wages Of Fear Could Have Used Vin Diesel’s Star Power
Netflix’s remake is not worthy of The Wages of Fear title
Every Version Of The Wages Of Fear | Director | Country Of Origin | Rotten Tomatoes Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
The Wages of Fear (1953) | Henri-Georges Clouzot | France | 100% |
Violent Road (1958) | Howard W. Koch | America | N/A |
South Fire (1976) | Alain Brune | Iran | N/A |
Sorcerer (1977) | William Friedkin | America | 82% |
The Wages of Fear (2024) | Julien Leclercq | France | 40% |
Remaking a stone-cold classic is a daunting task, but it’s still possible to score a win. A case in point would be William Friedkin’s masterful 1977 thriller Sorcerer, which was also a Wages of Fear reimagining. Friedkin’s film featured the same setup, but the late director filtered it through his own unique lens. In addition to being a great drama about desperate men seeking redemption for their past sins, Sorcerer has some harrowing action sequences. Sadly, Netflix’s Wages of Fear is a generic action thriller fronted by largely uninteresting characters and bland setpieces.
Even a major betrayal towards The Wages of Fear’s ending fails to surprise since the story hadn’t put any work into making audiences care. In truth, The Wages of Fear remake could have used a star like Vin Diesel fronting it. He may not be held in high regard as a dramatic performer, but he has a star charisma that the Netflix action flick badly needed. More than that, Diesel might have brought a sense of fun and on-the-sleeve emotion that, again, the movie could have used.
Source: Premiere, Rotten Tomatoes, Franck Gastambide’s X/Twitter
