SPOILER ALERT: This review contains plot details
I’d like to preface this review by saying that it takes a lot of thought and hard work to make a movie. I’m sure hundreds of people poured their blood, sweat, and tears into the making of Wuthering Heights, and I’d like to acknowledge their efforts before I explain why I hated this movie.
Wuthering Heights is a 2026 adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel, directed by Emerald Fennell. Fennell’s catalogue of work has been bold, controversial, and provocative, including films such as Promising Young Woman and Saltburn. In this adaptation of Wuthering Heights, Fennell set out to create an unsettling version of the story, describing the film as “primal” and “sexual” to the BBC.
The story follows Cathy (Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi), who have grown up together in the Yorkshire Moors. As they reach adulthood, Cathy and Heathcliff fall desperately in love but are torn apart by their differing classes, Cathy’s reluctant engagement to Mr. Linton, and their own ignorance. After many years, they reunite and begin a passionate affair that only sparks more torment within themselves and for everyone around them.
I had high hopes for Wuthering Heights. Although I have never read the novel, I knew of the story and was excited to see it on the big screen with this cast. The soundtrack by Charli XCX, the sets, and the costumes all seemed bold and intriguing in previews – the modernised gothic aesthetic of the film was clearly well-crafted. Unfortunately, my sky-high hopes were squashed within the first two minutes of the film.
First watch
Wuthering Heights opens with the sounds of creaking and someone moaning, clearly meant to allude to a sex scene. Once the scene begins, you quickly discover that you’re actually listening to the sounds of a man being hanged. A dense crowd watches on and a group of children laugh at the hanged man’s erection. I soon realised this film would be a strange marriage of violence and sex, and would lean heavily on shocking scenes meant to hook and repulse audiences simultaneously.
As the movie progressed, I became more and more disappointed. It felt like a very simple story strung together by crowd-pleasing moments, such as when Heathcliff lifts Cathy by her corset to kiss her. I left the cinema thinking not much really happened. Maybe it was the limited settings or the small cast, but the film felt somewhat uneventful, despite it being stuffed with shocking, gasp-inducing moments.
Despite this, the film was a visually stunning watch. The misty, windswept sets and the bright, textured array of modernised period costumes provided an ever-intriguing element to the film. Both leads delivered passionate performances, with Elordi capturing Heathcliff’s brooding nature while still delivering an emotional performance, and Robbie making Cathy equal parts unlikable and irresistible.
The film was trying to be a moving and deliciously painful story of two doomed lovers, but it ultimately felt somewhat empty. Maybe I was missing something? So I watched it again.
Second watch
Upon second watch, the film fell even more flat. With the surprise element of each shocking scene stripped away, the flaws of this film were glaringly obvious.
The movie was advertised as “the greatest love story of all time”, but the love between Cathy and Heathcliff felt underdeveloped. Based on an instant possession and attachment formed between the pair at a young age, their romance is never built upon anything solid, only infatuation and desperation. Yes, they share trauma as children and lean on each other for safety, hope, and comfort, but why do they truly love each other? Could our leads even name three qualities they admire about each other? Maybe it was because they spent so much of the film tormenting one another, but their love felt shallow.
Cathy and Heathcliff are also both deeply selfish and unlikable people. Although Robbie and Elordi do well to bring some level of nuance and humanity to their characters, the actions of Cathy and Heathcliff are irredeemable. How can we believe this is such a great love story when the lovers do nothing but push each other away? How can we root for people who give no regard to anyone but themselves? They constantly prioritise their pride, until they unite to start a not-so-secret affair that ruins the lives of every character in the film.
This film is undeniably gorgeous, but it relies on shocking moments to cover up the shallowness of the story and the unlikable lead characters.
Is it worth watching?
I entered my first watch of this film with great anticipation and high expectations. By the time I left the theatre for the second time, I felt indifferent and disappointed. I was not delivered the heart-wrenching love story I was promised, and no amount of stunning costumes, immersive sets, or disturbing scenes could make up for it. If you’re happy to watch Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi frolic in misty fields for two hours, Wuthering Heights is okay. But, if you’re hoping for a great romance, this film is not worth your time.
Original photos by Maddie Smith