Netflix may rely a lot on original films, but the streamer doesn’t shy away from remaking the classics as well. This week, Netflix is premiering The Wages of Fear, a remake of the 1953 movie based upon the novel by Georges Arnaud.
Julien Leclercq directed the remake, which adds some modern touches to the story about a disparate group of people who have been tasked with transporting nitroglycerine across a perilous path in order to put out an oil fire. If it’s not a suicide mission, then it’s as close as it gets. And if you like Netflix’s new Wages of Fear remake, then you should check out these three action thrillers as well.
Sorcerer (1977)
The late William Friedkin disagreed with critics’ assertions that Sorcerer was essentially a remake of The Wages of Fear. But the two films share a premise that is almost identical. One of the key differences between them is that Sorcerer takes the time to reveal why Jackie Scanlon (Roy Scheider), Victor Manzon (Bruno Cremer), Nilo (Francisco Rabal), and Kassem (Amidou) are in Columbia and facing dire straits.
Despite strong personal animosity between Nilo and his three companions, they agree to transport dynamite across a treacherous stretch of land in order to help extinguish an oil fire. One wrong move or an errant turn could kill them all at a moment’s notice. And there’s no guarantee that any of the men will return from this journey.
Rent or buy Sorcerer on Prime Video.
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
World War II was only 12 years in the past when The Bridge on the River Kwai was released in 1957, on its way to winning Best Picture at the Oscars. The story follows a group of American and British soldiers who have been captured by Japanese forces and enlisted to build a bridge that is vital to the enemy’s war efforts.
British commander Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness) initially refuses to work on the bridge before seeing its completion as a point of personal pride. Commander Shears (William Holden) of the U.S. Navy manages to escape the labor camp and offer intelligence to his superiors about the bridge’s construction. But Shears might have withheld that info if he knew that it meant he would be ordered to return and destroy the bridge.
Watch The Bridge on the River Kwai on AMC+.
Three Kings (1999)
There are plenty of war movies set during times of conflict, but Three Kings upends that formula by taking place in the aftermath of the first Gulf War in Iraq. Following the end of the war, Major Archie Gates (George Clooney), Staff Sergeant Chief Elgin (Ice Cube), and Sergeant First Class Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg) are stuck behind in Iraq tying up loose ends when they would all rather go home.
This trio, and Private First Class Conrad Vig (Spike Jonze), soon discover the location of a massive shipment of gold that was stolen from Kuwait prior to the start of the war. The payday is so tempting that they go AWOL in order to steal the gold for themselves. Getting the gold turns out to be the easy part. Escaping with their lives and saving the Iraqi dissidents will be a lot harder.
Rent or buy Three Kings on Prime Video.
