Wuthering Heights immediately whisks you away into a dark reimagined telling of Emily Brontë‘s novel. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi give us a searing portrayal of the tortured lovebirds Catherine and Heathcliff in a story filled with passion, depicted by two deeply troubled individuals. The film is cinematically stunning, and the costumes lean beautifully into a whimsically modern twist on period pieces.
In terms of story, it’s easy to try to compare this film to its inspiration, which is Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel of the same name. And I think that it’s important to note that the novel is a form of classic literature that falls neatly within the Gothic genre. This means that while there are some elements of romance in the source material, the book serves more as an exploration of darker themes like classism, revenge, abuse, and tragedy. When the trailer for the film was originally released last year, I saw pretty quickly that I’d have to temper my previous understanding of the book in order to remain open-minded about where this new adaptation was headed. Having read the novel in high school, I was immediately concerned about the omission of Heathcliff’s skin tone as a main aspect of the overarching story. And with the revelation that the film’s usage of quotation marks in the title signals that it’s a derivative work, I feel as though this (and other creative decisions) has allowed for writer/director Emerald Fennell to take liberties in focusing more on the tragic romances within the plot.
Passionate and intense, while the trailers would make one assume this is film is about a whirlwind love affair, the movie itself makes it clear from the beginning that both Catherine and Heathcliff are complex, troublesome individuals. In fact, with the introduction of them as children, we see quickly that Catherine is a selfish girl raised by an abusive father. A young Heathcliff is adopted into a home filled with chaos, and while he may have been found on the street, he is still subjected to a life of hard labor and little dignity. Later as adults, we encounter Catherine as a wealth-obsessed woman who treats Heathcliff as her pet. All while Heathcliff demonstrates increasingly voyeuristic and obsessive qualities of his own toward Catherine.
Margot Robbie delivers a strikingly wonderful performance of a woman many of us know – someone who is determined to live a life of riches by any means necessary. But the demons of her selfish behavior and love for Heathcliff lead her to indulge in a dangerous affair with him. Jacob Elordi is positively frightening when his obsession with Catherine turns into near mania as he toys with her emotions in his attempts to make her jealous. By the end, Catherine (and myself) are genuinely afraid when he declares just how far he’d go in hurting her husband in order to be with her.
While the lead actors provide deeply moving performances, the supporting cast wonderfully strengthens the plot with deep, nuanced acting. Alison Oliver provides an exceptionally raw performance as the slightly unhinged Isabella, whose hatred of Catherine and unrequited love for Heathcliff steer her down a wild path of humiliation kinks. Shazad Latif charms every scene he’s in as Edgar Linton, Catherine’s husband, with a soft strength that makes you pity him and wish Catherine could’ve found true love and happiness with him. Hong Chau captivates each moment as Nelly, with her heartbreaking portrayal of a lady whose title carries little weight in a society where lineage, marriage, and associations are everything.
Cinematographer Linus Sandgren creates magic yet again for Wuthering Heights, with shots that capture the breathtaking scale and beauty of Northern England, while also expertly conveying the claustrophobic and intense vibes of some of the more darker scenes throughout the film. Jacqueline Durran’s exquisite ability to weave a bit of whimsy and girly romance into period pieces is on full display throughout this film, particularly with Catherine’s gowns. Charli xcx’s musical contributions to the soundtrack complimented the film incredibly well, given the tone and vibe of her songs like Chains of Love.
Emerald Fennell has written and directed a fascinating retelling of Wuthering Heights that makes you question if anyone is truly good at heart. I still maintain that in order to have a bigger impact in the story’s portrayal of Heathcliff, one could have incorporated his novel-based description of being dark-skinned in a way that gives visual life to the social, economic, and political views of the time period. While I did miss that from the film, there’s no doubt that Fennell’s reimagining of this Gothic tale will linger with you as it wuthers long after the credits roll.
Wuthering Heights hits theaters on February 13, 2026.
