Review: Wuthering Heights (2026)

Directed by: Emerald Fennell

Written by: Emerald Fennell

Starring: Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes

Rating: [3.5/5]

Of the many things one can say about “Wuthering Heights,” deeply romantic would not be one of them. Desire, social class delineations, and interpersonal cruelty more so do the trick in properly explaining what this rich story seeks to evoke. The framing and execution of this adaptation of the famous novel fell very much in line with the style of its director, and while none of it could be described as faithful, it delivers something entertaining in its own right. 

Returning from his time away, Mr. Earnshaw (Martin Clunes) returns to his estate where his daughter Catherine (Margot Robbie) awaits him. He returns with more than just tales but also a young boy named Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi). In their youth, Catherine and Heathcliff build a friendship that faces complications as the desire they have for each other cannot escape the realities of their social standings. 

“Wuthering Heights,” the novel, remains one of my top-5 favorite books of all time. A tragic story with such a fierceness to it through its lead characters. Learning that Emerald Fennel would adapt it, I knew that we were in for something quite different than the straightforward adaptations previously crafted of this material. Since the start, the production has encountered various questions, such as why Margot Robbie would be cast for a much younger character and Jacob Elordi being cast for a Romani man who should have darker skin. That coupled with the general vitriol Fennel elicits from viewers meant that this film would receive quite the reaction from those who love it and those who inevitably loathe it. 

As someone who undoubtedly lands in the camp that enjoys Fennel’s work, I came into the viewing experience of this film with an open mind, and while not much about this film could be defined as faithful, I very much enjoyed the final product. For reasons that will receive more explanation later, this film exists as a beautiful piece of fan fiction by someone who loves “Wuthering Heights” and decided to just take the elements they liked about the story and craft a film about it. I do not say that as some big negative towards this film, as this iteration is but one of many adaptations of this famous novel. A glut of other adaptations exist that seek to follow closer to the text and themes of the story and vary in quality. If I want to watch a faithful adaptation, there’s a whole list out there. Fennel sought to bring something completely different, and even if one could view it as a complete misreading, this take on the story kept me engaged in all of its lush cinematography and performances by the leads. 

Given Fennel’s predilection for pushing boundaries and making audiences uncomfortable, we have moments where desire displays itself in visually striking ways. When you have a character inserting their finger into a dead fish’s mouth, you just know we’re in for something different. However, in the arena of pushing boundaries, Fennel’s take seeks to focus on shaping the dynamic of Heathcliff and Catherine as a tragic love story, and because of that, she opts to sand the edges off of our male lead to make him a bit less unlikeable. Heathcliff comes off a bit more sympathetic than the text warrants, but it plays into this fantasy this entire production represents. Famously, nothing physical ever happens between these two in the novel; we get quite the different experience here. 

Everything here had the making of being something disagreeable, but where the film ultimately succeeds is in delivering on this fantasy of love that could have existed between Catherine and Heathcliff. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi deserve the credit for making this element work. For all the concern about Robbie’s casting due to her age, she effortlessly reminds us why it should not matter given her exceptional talent. What she makes us feel as she traverses through this internal battle of her heart hits all of the right notes while Elordi harnesses this tortured soul of Heathcliff, who does not know how to properly emotionally carry himself but has this unshakeable love. This pairing worked exceptionally well together as they help define why this film ultimately succeeds. 

Liberties were taken, but a worthwhile watch nonetheless, Wuthering Heights, remains a film to experience irrespective of how one feels adaptations should maintain fealty to their source materials. We received something completely different, and I appreciate it. Some other characters absorb Heathcliff’s true wickedness, but it all comes in service of manufacturing a “what if” love story between our two leads, and as fantastical as it may seem, it worked. Emerald Fennel has yet to fail me.