Washington: Few literary romances have endured with the ferocity of Wuthering Heights, and fewer still have dared to reinterpret it with the audacity on display in Wuthering Heights. Written and directed by Emerald Fennell—best known for her provocative storytelling in Promising Young Woman and Saltburn—this 136-minute, R-rated romantic drama storms into cinemas as a lush, sensual fever dream rather than a reverent literary retelling.
Produced by LuckyChap Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros., the film stars Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff—casting that immediately signals glamour and intensity. Supporting performances from Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes, and Ewan Mitchell round out a strong ensemble.
A Familiar Tale, Radically Reframed
The narrative remains rooted in Brontë’s tragic blueprint: orphaned Heathcliff is brought into the Earnshaw household, where he forges an intense bond with Catherine that blurs the line between devotion and obsession. Catherine’s decision to marry the refined Edgar Linton fractures Heathcliff’s world, setting the stage for his vengeful return years later as a wealthy, hardened force.
Fennell trims much of the novel’s second-generation arc, choosing instead to zero in on the lovers’ volatile chemistry. The result is a more focused but less expansive story, culminating in emotional crescendo rather than lingering ghostly aftermath.
Carnality Over Restraint
What unmistakably distinguishes this adaptation is its overt sensuality. Fennell replaces Victorian repression with unabashed physicality. Desire here is not hinted at—it pulses, sweats, and storms across the screen. Rain-soaked embraces on the moors, intimate confrontations charged with dominance and submission, and symbolic imagery that blends sensuality with decay all create an atmosphere of erotic intensity.
For some, this will feel liberating—a reclamation of the novel’s undercurrents of wild passion. For others, it risks overwhelming the tragic poetry of Brontë’s prose. This is not heritage cinema; it is Gothic maximalism.
Performances: Fire and Fury
Margot Robbie’s Catherine is untamed and unapologetic. She plays her as mercurial—by turns ecstatic, cruel, and devastatingly vulnerable. Robbie brings a ferocity that feels distinctly modern, reshaping Catherine into a woman fiercely aware of her own appetite for love and status.
Jacob Elordi’s Heathcliff leans into brooding magnetism. His glare carries equal parts longing and menace, and his physical presence dominates the moorland landscape. The chemistry between Robbie and Elordi is electric, though critics are divided on whether the emotional inevitability of their tragedy fully lands beneath the heat.
Hong Chau’s grounded portrayal of Nelly Dean offers welcome narrative stability, while the supporting cast subtly reinforces the class tensions and rigid hierarchies that drive the lovers apart.
Visual Extravagance
Cinematographer Linus Sandgren (Oscar-winner for La La Land) transforms the Yorkshire moors into a character of their own—windswept, rain-lashed, and achingly beautiful. The color palette oscillates between stormy blues and bruised golds, with chiaroscuro lighting amplifying every glance and gesture.
Production design blends period authenticity with stylized eccentricity. Occasional anachronistic flourishes and uneven CGI moments may jar traditionalists, but they reinforce Fennell’s commitment to operatic excess.
Divided Reception
Critical reaction has been sharply split. Rotten Tomatoes reflects a mixed consensus, praising the film’s visual vibrancy while noting its departure from literary depth. RogerEbert.com applauded its audacity, whereas outlets like NPR and The New Yorker questioned whether style had eclipsed substance. Variety highlighted the leads’ chemistry, and audience reactions on IMDb hover around a moderate 6.3/10—evidence of its polarizing nature.
Signing Off
In 2026’s landscape of bold reinterpretations, Wuthering Heights stands as Emerald Fennell’s most flamboyant statement yet. It sacrifices some of Brontë’s psychological layering for visual intoxication and explicit intensity. The result is uneven but undeniably memorable—a film drenched in rain, lust, and operatic heartbreak.
Purists may bristle at its liberties. Admirers of daring, adult-oriented romance will find it exhilarating. Either way, it refuses to be timid.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐½
