The scene unfolds with Catherine running through the foggy moors, desperately searching for her beloved. Just as she begins to lose hope, the fog clears, revealing Heathcliff. The audience is captivated – it’s a moment of pure, intense romance. Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights captures this energy beautifully. Fennell has explained that her film is based on the imaginative world she created when first reading the novel as a teenager. Her version emphasizes both the fantastical and the scandalous elements of Brontë’s story, bringing them vividly to life. While Fennell’s direction doesn’t always fully realize the film’s potential, it’s a refreshing take on such a classic story.
Margot Robbie plays Cathy in the movie, alongside Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. He’s portrayed as a mysterious and imposing figure, more sad and intense than truly evil. The story starts when Cathy’s father takes in the poor, young Heathcliff, raising him as a brother and companion. They form a powerful connection, but as adults, their love isn’t returned when Cathy chooses to marry the rich Edgar Linton. Hurt and rejected, Heathcliff leaves, only to return years later, now wealthy and refined, but still longing for Cathy and seeking revenge. This adaptation, directed by Fennell, clearly shows the intense back-and-forth of Cathy and Heathcliff’s painful romance, uniquely blending their harshness with their attraction.
This adaptation of Wuthering Heights covers roughly the first half of the book – fans hoping to see the later generations fully explored in a film will have to keep waiting. However, it brings its own unique visual style to the story. The cinematography, with its rich, blue tones, and the beautifully designed sets create a fantastical, old Hollywood atmosphere, reminiscent of classic films like the 1939 Laurence Olivier version. Yet, the film also includes modern elements and a deliberately theatrical approach. The result is an unusual and often humorous take on Wuthering Heights, embracing a bold and extravagant style that occasionally flirts with camp, but avoids being overly ironic.
Warner Bros.
The film adaptation of Wuthering Heights focuses heavily on sex and desire, more so than the novel does. While Brontë’s writing sparked the imagination, allowing readers to fill in the details, Fennell’s film explicitly displays these desires. The film is visually driven, emphasizing landscapes, sets, and the characters’ bodies, often treating them as mere props. Everything is exposed, and the repeated consummation of Cathy and Heathcliff’s passionate but doomed romance is both shocking and unsettling.
What’s striking about Fennell’s direction is its directness – she avoids subtlety and leans into boldness. This creates a raw energy that highlights both the characters’ desires and their flaws, all set against a contemporary backdrop. Despite being marketed as a grand romance, the film doesn’t shy away from the darker elements of the original story. It portrays love blossoming in unpleasant circumstances, fueled by spite, revenge, and even cruelty – a deeply flawed foundation for a supposedly timeless connection.
Nelly (Hong Chau), Cathy’s maid and a storyteller in the original novel, plays a much more prominent and heartbreaking role in the film, her involvement stemming from her hidden affections. Shazad Latif delivers a compelling performance as Edgar, portraying a man whose love for Cathy is grounded and steady, though he receives only harsh treatment in return. Alison Oliver truly shines as Edgar’s sister, Isabella, bringing a delightfully dramatic flair to her performance and ultimately becoming the only character who finds a strange connection through both desire and mistreatment.
Warner Bros.
The film’s biggest weakness is actually the director, Emerald Fennell. While the story and visuals are strong, her inexperience with large-scale filmmaking shows in the way scenes are structured and filmed, often feeling like a TV production. This is most noticeable in the beginning, which, despite being visually beautiful, feels deliberately subdued. These early scenes rely heavily on clever camera angles and pacing, but Fennell struggles in these areas. The result is editing that feels choppy and a lack of snappy dialogue, making the first half of the film feel slow and drawn-out. It isn’t until after the wedding that the film truly comes alive visually, but even then, it feels too long overall.
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While Fennell’s film is visually striking – sometimes criticized for being overly stylized – it doesn’t demonstrate the same cinematic skill as Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, which still feels fresh and innovative after almost three decades. Like Romeo + Juliet, this adaptation uses its distinctive style to explore deeper themes. However, Wuthering Heights isn’t as creatively daring in its filmmaking techniques, which is a missed opportunity. The film excels most in its sound design, featuring a rich, electronic score by Anthony Willis and contemporary songs by Charli XCX, creating a modern atmosphere that reflects the film’s modern perspective.
Netflix
When it really matters, Fennell excels at creating compelling tension. While the film Wuthering Heights isn’t overtly shocking for a major release – though it’s unusually sensual for a 2026 Hollywood blockbuster – it captures a raw, fundamental desire that feels true to the original story. A scene where Heathcliff covers Cathy’s eyes and mouth is potentially the most intensely charged scene in a big-budget film in years, and that’s achieved without any actual sexual activity. That’s the feeling Fennell is aiming for: the nostalgic, almost childish longing, and the darkly appealing idea of wanting to ‘save’ someone – and be saved in return – which are key elements of the novel and have resonated deeply in popular culture.
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2026-02-10 20:11