Cannes Film Festival: 20 Best Palme D'Or Winners Ever
19. The Wages Of Fear (1953)
The story is simple: A fire has broken out, and four isolated but committed men are hired to drive nitroglycerine across a perilous mountain road to help fight the flames and secure a nice paycheck.
Rocking a spotless 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and renowned for its impeccable tension, The Wages of Fear was directed by French filmmaker Henri-Georges Clouzot, based on a novel by Georges Arnaud, and features such fierce social satire and captivating human melodrama that there's little wonder why it became such a vital touchstone of the thriller genre.
Everything in the film moves with boundless energy, from the introduction of the four main players (each more compelling than the last) to the startling and explosive practical effects, and watching the story twist, turn and double-back on itself makes it abundantly clear why Clouzot spent his years favourably compared to Alfred Hitchcock.
An undisputed masterpiece, it's fair to say they simply don't make thrillers like this anymore, and never will again.