Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi are electric in Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights. A dark, sultry, and devastating take on a classic.
Walking into Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, I purposely kept myself in the dark. No trailers, no plot deep-dives, and – shamefully or perhaps luckily – I hadn’t even read the original Emily Brontë novel. I wanted to experience Fennell’s vision with a completely clean slate. I left the theater not just impressed, but utterly and completely obsessed.
Emerald Fennell has a knack for taking the “classic” out of period pieces and replacing it with something visceral, sweaty, and dangerously stylish. While purists might argue over how closely this follows the source material, I’ve heard this version is less of a beat-by-beat adaptation and more of a fever dream inspired by the book’s DNA. For me, that worked perfectly. I want to let this masterpiece marinate in my brain for a while before I ever pick up the book; I’m not ready to let go of these specific images yet.
We already knew Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi were two of the best actors working today, but seeing them together is a different beast entirely. Their chemistry isn’t just good – it’s electric and palpable. They manage to make the story of Catherine and Heathcliff feel dark, twisted, and unexpectedly sultry.
There is a constant cat and mouse game played between them, a power struggle where control is passed back and forth like a sharp blade. They seem to take a perverse pleasure in messing with one another, and honestly, I loved watching it play out. Not sure what that says about me, but I really don’t care.
It’s a toxic, beautiful mess. Even though neither character is particularly likable by the end, I found myself rooting for them anyway. I simply could not look away.
Visually, the film is a triumph. The production design, the costumes, and the sweeping, moody sets are absolutely gorgeous – every single shot is a literal work of art. I’m not exaggerating when I say I would hang almost any frame of this movie on my wall as a poster (yes, even the slightly dirty ones).
Emerald Fennell brings that same creepy and uncomfortable, but absolutely gorgeous energy we saw in Saltburn. There are moments that intentionally make you squirm in your seat, but the cinematography is so lush that you’re practically glued to the screen. I found myself hanging onto every word and every glance.
The brilliance of the film isn’t just at the top of the call sheet, either. The younger versions of the leads – Owen Cooper as young Heathcliff and Charlotte Mellington as young Cathy – deserve massive credit. They established that same haunting chemistry early on, making the eventual transition to Margot and Jacob feel seamless and earned.
The rest of the ensemble is equally sharp, fleshing out the chaos with chilling precision. Hong Chau is absolutely devilish as Nelly; there was something so captivating about watching her work her magic from behind the scenes, navigating the household with a hidden agenda.
On the other end of the emotional spectrum, Alison Oliver brings a twisted vulnerability to Isabella that was genuinely heartbreaking to witness. Then there is Shazad Latif, who plays Edgar as easily the most normal person in this entire twisted story. I couldn’t help but feel awful for him as he got caught in the devastating crossfire of Catherine and Heathcliff’s obsession.
Overall Thoughts On Wuthering Heights
While it’s marketed as a romance on paper, underneath the surface, this film is a psychological battleground. It deals with secrets, vengeance, and the kind of love that destroys everything it touches. By the time the third act rolled around, I was a wreck – I found myself crying multiple times as the tragedy finally peaked.
Emerald Fennell has proven once again that she is a master of tone. She takes the Gothic genre and turns it into something modern, sexy, and devastating. If you’re looking for a polite, tea-sipping period drama, this isn’t it. But if you want a film that haunts you long after the credits roll, Wuthering Heights has you covered.
About Wuthering Heights
Tragedy strikes when Heathcliff falls in love with Catherine Earnshaw, a woman from a wealthy family in 18th-century England.
Wuthering Heights comes to theaters on February 13th.