Review: ‘Wuthering Heights’ Is Dividing Viewers—and We Need to Talk About It
Wuthering Heights is one of those divisive novels that either inspires vicious hate or delulu devotion. Its publication at the height of the Victorian era was met with harsh criticism for its themes of domestic abuse, toxic relationships, alcoholism, and, some would argue, morally bankrupt characters. But even more so because it was written by a woman, Emily Brontë. God forbid a woman write about the dark side of humanity (or even write a novel at all!) It came as no surprise, then, that the announcement of a Wuthering Heights film by Saltburn writer-director Emerald Fennell inspired similarly polarizing views.
Fennell also explores the darker side of humanity in her films, and I have been fiercely anticipating her version of Wuthering Heights since I heard about it last fall. So, too, has much of the internet, as evidenced by the countless social media posts and articles hypothesizing on how the film will differ from the book. The film has also been met with scorching controversy for months because of its period-inaccurate costuming, questionable casting choices, and eroticization of the source material. But with all of the internet debate surrounding the release, does the film actually live up to expectations? Read my full review below to find out.
What is Wuthering Heights about?
If you’re here because of the hype and are completely unfamiliar with the story of Wuthering Heights, let me break it down for you. At its core, Wuthering Heights is about the fallout of an obsessive and destructive bond between a young woman, Catherine Earnshaw, and Heathcliff, an orphan brought to live with the Earnshaws. When Catherine chooses to marry Edgar Linton, the wealthy owner of neighboring Thrushcross Grange, it ignites a catastrophic series of events and a decades-long revenge spiral that haunts the two families for generations.
What is the Wuthering Heights adaptation controversy?
Fennell stated in an interview with The Guardian that her version of Wuthering Heights is more about her experience reading the book as a teenager and being consumed by it, which rubbed some people the wrong way. But is it really that scandalous to adapt a 179-year-old piece of fiction with your artistic point of view? It’s done with Shakespeare all the time. So why not Wuthering Heights? In fact, there have been dozens of Wuthering Heights adaptations, including an opera, a mini series, and a film set in Medieval Japan with a fully Japanese cast.
To address the 6’5” elephant in the room, no, Jacob Elordi is not “dark-skinned” in the way that contemporary readers interpret Heathcliff—though his racial identity has long been debated. But he did fit the fantasy Emerald Fennell had in her mind as a horny British teenager. Elordi “looked exactly like the illustration of Heathcliff on the first book that I read,” she told The Guardian. Like it or not, this is her Wuthering Heights headcanon, and we’re all just along for the ride.
My review of Wuthering Heights
The film is undeniably sexy
While it might be a turn-off for some that Wuthering Heights was advertised as a romance, it comes out Valentine’s Day weekend after all, the film still manages to be a cautionary tale. Everything revolves around the bond between Catherine and Heathcliff: the settings, the supporting characters, even the weather. We see their budding romance, and as they get older, the sexual tension literally oozes off the screen. No really. Everything becomes moist and squelchy at one point, I kid you not.
“It lives up to the hype because it’s so deliciously, unapologetically an Emerald Fennell film…and I loved every second of it.”
But as that tension builds, so does its volatility. It’s a ticking time bomb, and an undeniably seductive one. The chemistry between Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi is palpable and more than a little tantalizing. As you might expect, there is a lot of sex in the film, but nothing quite as salacious as Saltburn. Still, it was enough to make me blush in my seat more than once.
It’s packed with visual symbolism
At times, it’s like you’re a part of Catherine and Heathcliff’s romance, feeling what they’re feeling and experiencing it all in real time. The film is sensory, and it’s reflected in every choice Fennell makes visually. Every shot is a painting, but one you could almost smell, feel, and taste. It’s a feast for the senses, especially once the story moves to Thrushcross Grange, where the walls seem almost alive.
There’s a ton of visual symbolism in the film, especially with the color red. Centering around Catherine, it appears on clothing, windows, floors, and as blood. This is her story most of all, and the red reflects both romantic desire and the lurking specter of self-destruction. One of my favorite shots is of her in a red dress, lying in a heap on the checkered black and white floor of Wuthering Heights. She looks like the last piece on a chessboard, which is fitting because marrying Edgar Linton is strategic — a way to move up in society.
But once we get to Thrushcross Grange, there’s a claustrophobia despite the large, opulent rooms. Everywhere she looks is a prison of her own making without Heathcliff. We see a lamb encased in glass, fishbowl vases in the garden, and plenty of frame within a frame shots. She’s like a doll in a dollhouse, quite literally, as Isabella even makes her into one.
I also found it quite surprising how much religious allegory runs through the film, whether Fennell intended it or not. The film highlights the Christian eroticization of suffering for your sins from the very first scene. Every character falls prey to at least one of the seven deadly sins, and they all suffer for it willingly. But both Catherine and Heathcliff trade masochism for sadism, inflicting pain as much as receiving it to illustrate their devotion.
The side characters were layered and complex
Aside from the inherent sexuality and symbolism throughout, the film also played with the back stories of some of the characters, which I liked. Some readers consider Nelly to be the villain of Wuthering Heights, and she’s certainly an unreliable narrator in the novel, but the reason is really highlighted in the film. Additionally, Isabella was probably my least favorite character in the novel, but Fennell gave her a comedic facelift. Alison Oliver was such an odd duck, like a walking doll, and was definitely a scene stealer.
“As a fan of Emerald Fennell’s work, Wuthering Heights is probably the most Emerald Fennell movie she’s made so far.”
One thing I didn’t really like was that because the film didn’t include the 2nd generation of Earnshaws and Lintons, the audience didn’t get to see the full extent of Heathcliff’s vengeance. Here, he’s a romantic anti-hero; in the book, he becomes a monster that surpasses his abusers in many ways. So Fennell did cherry-pick his cruelty a bit, but this certainly wasn’t the first Wuthering Heights adaptation to do so.
So, does Wuthering Heights live up to the hype?
As a fan of Emerald Fennell’s work, Wuthering Heights is probably the most Emerald Fennell movie she’s made so far. It’s a revenge story like her other films, with not one but two obsessive anti-heroes that you can’t help but root for despite their moral ambiguity. Sure, you might feel a little dirty about it, but in a sneaky, exciting sort of way. Maybe I’m just toxic, though.
The film really leans into experiencing the kind of love that feels fated and doomed all at once. It’ll make you feel things you’d rather not examine too closely. It might even force you to think about your own Heathcliff or Catherine—the person you loved too intensely, or the version of yourself you had to abandon in order to move on in your life.
There’s something undeniably Shakespearean about Fennell’s Wuthering Heights. Like Romeo, Heathcliff is “fortune’s fool,” undone by a love so infinite he’ll destroy everything and everyone just so he won’t be without it. But in some ways, this story is even more gut-wrenching. Romeo and Juliet’s romance was impulsive and short, kept apart by family drama; Catherine and Heathcliff torture themselves slowly through their pride and insistence on possessing one another completely.
So yes, the film is provocative. It’s romantic. It’s erotic, and even gross at times. And in that way, it lives up to the hype because it’s so deliciously, unapologetically an Emerald Fennell film. And I loved every second of it.
Liana Minassian, Contributing Entertainment Writer
Liana is an LA-based writer, editor, and photographer with over 12 years of experience in digital content creation. She specializes in entertainment and lifestyle content and especially loves it when the two subjects overlap. Aside from The EveryGirl, her work has been published with ScreenRant, TheThings, Thought Catalog, The Mary Sue, Food Revolution Network, Travel-Wise, and the Daily Meal, among others.
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