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Wuthering Heights 1st reviews out: Critics are divided on Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights adaptation. Some describe it as an emotionally hollow misfire, while others appreciate its stylised approach
Critics divided over Wuthering Heights casting
The Independent described the film as “an astonishingly hollow work.” The review argued that Fennell uses the guise of interpretation to strip the novel of its emotional violence and complexity, replacing it with marketable romance tropes. While acknowledging that many adaptations only cover the first half of the book, a tradition dating back to the 1939 film, the critic suggested that tone, not accuracy, is the central issue.
An excerpt from The Independent review read, “With its title stylised in quotation marks, and a director’s statement that it’s intended to capture her experience of reading the book aged 14, it uses the guise of interpretation to gut one of the most impassioned, emotionally violent novels ever written, and then toss its flayed skin over whatever romance tropes seem most marketable. Adaptation or not, it’s an astonishingly hollow work.”
The Guardian echoed similar concerns, calling the film an “emotionally hollow, bodice-ripping misfire” that misuses its leads, though it praised Martin Clunes’ performance. In a more detailed critique, the outlet argued that the film lacks the “live-ammo impact” of Fennell’s previous work Saltburn and even Andrea Arnold’s 2011 adaptation, which it described as flawed but spiritually faithful. “For Fennell, it looks like a luxurious pose of unserious abandon. It’s quasi-erotic, pseudo-romantic and then ersatz-sad, a club night of mock emotion,” the review said.
Collider, in their review titled ‘Emily Brontë Is Absolutely Rolling in Her Grave’, also took issue with the adaptation’s departures from the source material, claiming Fennell “has taken a knife and gutted out some of the most pivotal characters of the book.” The review criticised both casting and characterisation, arguing that Robbie appears too mature for Cathy and that the character has been reimagined as a “whiny rich girl” rather than a fierce, defiant presence. It further noted that the film reframes Cathy and Heathcliff’s toxic dynamic into a more conventional star-crossed romance, diluting the psychological tension that defines the novel.
Not all reactions were negative
Variety acknowledged that literary purists may object, but suggested Fennell taps into a passionate undercurrent long present in the text. Variety’s review highlighted the film’s amplified erotic charge and the shifting power dynamics between Cathy and Heathcliff.
“Evoking elements of bondage, the movie opens with the creaking of rope and what sounds like orgasmic gasping, and though Fennell plays a trick — the image doesn’t necessarily match what you imagine — she’s essentially planted an erotic suggestion from the start,” the review read.
The BBC offered a more balanced and ultimately positive take, describing the film as an “extravagant swirl”, sexy, melodramatic, occasionally comic and often swooningly romantic. While acknowledging its stylised excess, from Oscar-ready costumes to overt sexual frankness, the review contended that Fennell successfully channels something essential from Brontë’s novel. “Jealousy, anger and vengeance are as natural to Cathy and Heathcliff as their endless passion for each other. If you embrace the film’s audacious style and think of it as a reinvention not an adaptation, this bold, artful Wuthering Heights is utterly absorbing,” the BBC review read.
About Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights is the latest film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic 1847 novel, directed by Emerald Fennell. The film stars Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. It covers the first half of the novel, following the tradition of earlier adaptations, including the 1939 version and Andrea Arnold’s 2011 take
