Wuthering Heights Movie Review: Emerald Fennell’s Raunchy Adaptation Has Us Questioning Everything

Right, let’s talk about Emerald Fennell’s new Wuthering Heights movie, because I need to process it!

If you remember what Fennell did with Saltburn (and that bathtub scene that lived rent free in everyone’s head for months), you already know this woman doesn’t do subtle. This film has moved away from the feral, emotionally violent spirit of Emily Brontë’s novel and instead embraced a sleek, showy, visually stunning but arguably more surface level aesthetic. Critics have noted the film feels “glossy” and “polite” compared to the novel, which is powered by spite, obsession, cruelty, and class rage. BUT even with that polished sheen, it still achieves exactly what it needs to. The emotion lands. The passion hits. The heartbreak sticks with you. Forget windswept moors and soggy period drama vibes.

If you’re going into this expecting tender longing glances across misty landscapes, think again. This adaptation goes hard. We’re talking unfiltered passion that makes you sit back and genuinely reassess your own love life. Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff is something else entirely. The man went from playing the Creature in Frankenstein to whatever this is, and let’s just say the intensity levels are through the roof. “Raunchy” doesn’t even begin to cover it. Opposite him, Margot Robbie as Catherine brings a ferocity, and these two together on screen? Absolute chaos in the best possible way. Hong Chau as Nelly is a standout, with Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, and Martin Clunes rounding things out.

And visually? This film is a feast. The costume design alone deserves its own conversation. Margot Robbie reportedly had 50 costumes. The Christmas scenes in particular are stunning, all rich textures and layered elegance that make you want to pause and just stare at the screen. Then there’s the wallpaper at Thrushcross Grange, which almost seems to glow, lit up like fireflies are trapped behind the surface. And the fireplace seemingly made of hands?

Now, fair warning if you haven’t read the original novel: there are some serious twists coming your way. I won’t spoil them here, but buckle in because the story takes turns that’ll properly knock you sideways. From what we’ve heard, the books go into considerably more detail (as they always do), and the film has been adapted for screen in a way that trims and reshapes the source material.

As someone who hasn’t read the book, I can tell you this film stands completely on its own. It’s powerful. It’s the kind of movie that burrows into your head and stays there. You’ll feel things you weren’t expecting to feel. Anger, heartbreak, desire, confusion about why you’re suddenly crying into your popcorn.

The film dropped on February 13, 2026 (the day before Valentine’s Day), and it’s already pulled in $159 million in global ticket sales. It’s sparked a full blown wave of “Brontemania,” with tourism to the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth surging since release. If you’ve ever wanted to trudge across the real moors that inspired the original story, now’s the time.

If you want a film that actually makes you feel something real, properly feel it in your chest, go watch this. It’s not comfortable. It’s not neat. But it’s unforgettable. Fennell has taken a 177 year old story and made it feel modern.

Rating: A must watch for anyone who wants cinema that punches you in the heart.