4 Thoughts on Wuthering Heights
- evemrileyauthor
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Wait, did Emerald Fennell actually just make a 136-minute music video for Charli XCX and call it Wuthering Heights?
I finally got round to watching the new 2026 adaptation starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, and I have thoughts. Mostly loud, frustrated ones. If you were expecting the sweeping, romantic tragedy that has defined English literature for nearly two centuries, you might want to look elsewhere. Fennell’s vision is less "gothic masterpiece" and more "Saltburn but with more mud and BDSM."
Here is the breakdown of why this film left me feeling colder than a night on the Yorkshire moors.
Can we talk about the weather?
I get it. It’s set in the North of England. The Moors are supposed to be atmospheric, craggy, and rugged. But did it have to be so dark, windy, and rainy the entire time? It felt less like a stylistic choice and more like a personal attack on the region’s tourism board.
Everyone already thinks the North has horrible weather, and this film just leans into every single "grim up North" stereotype. By the time we got to the third hour of horizontal sleet, I was just annoyed. It did not feel atmospheric; it just felt like the lighting department forgot to turn the sun on.
The most toxic relationship on screen
I know Cathy and Heathcliff are the blueprint for "it’s complicated," but Fennell turns the dial up to a level that makes it impossible to root for them. This is quite literally the most toxic relationship I have ever seen.
In this version, their "love" is less about soulmates and more about mutual destruction. It makes the whole thing hard to watch, especially because so much of the drama could be solved if they just spoke to each other. It always annoys me in movies when characters refuse to just communicate like normal human beings. If they had just had one honest conversation, we could have saved ourselves two hours of misery.
A glimmer of sweetness
That being said, the movie wasn't all gloom. I actually really loved the younger versions of the characters. There was a genuine innocence there that the adult versions completely lacked. That ending moment of them as young kids in bed together was quite sweet. It was the only time in the entire film where I felt a flicker of actual warmth. It served as a sad reminder of what they could have been before they turned into such nightmares.
Cathy is a piece of work
Let’s be real: Cathy is a bitch. In this adaptation, Margot Robbie plays her with a spoiled, petulant edge that makes it very hard to feel sorry for her. When she eventually meets her end, I found myself thinking she got exactly what she deserved.
She toys with Edgar, she destroys Heathcliff, and she treats everyone around her like props in her own personal drama. Other reviewers have pointed out that Robbie, at 35, struggles to sell the idea of a 17-year-old ingenue, and I have to agree. It makes her manipulation feel less like teenage confusion and more like calculated cruelty.
What everyone else is saying
I am clearly not alone in my frustration. Looking at the reviews across the web, the consensus is split right down the middle:
The "Hollow" Argument: The Guardian called it an "emotionally hollow, bodice-ripping misfire." Many critics feel that while the film looks like a gorgeous fashion shoot, it lacks the "live-ammo impact" of Fennell’s previous work.
The "Teenage Dream" Vibe: A lot of people are pointing out that Fennell explicitly stated this was based on her 14-year-old self’s interpretation of the book. Critics at Counterfire went as far as calling it "cartoonish" and a "travesty" for how it strips away the novel's depth.
The Soundtrack: If there is one thing people agree on, it is the Charli XCX score. It is described as "mesmerizing and discordant," though some say the club-ready beats feel jarring against the 1800s setting.
Casting Controversy: Various bloggers have pointed out a frustrating pattern: why is Hollywood so afraid of casting actual Northern actors for these roles? When a posh London director and two Aussies try to "do" Yorkshire, it can end up sounding more like a caricature than a lived reality.
Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is a maximalist fever dream that prioritizes style over substance. If you want to see Margot Robbie in see-through tulle and Jacob Elordi looking moody in a stable, you will love it. But if you wanted a story about the haunting, transcendental power of love?
You are better off staying home and re-reading the book. At least in the book, you can imagine a bit of sunshine occasionally.
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