Dir: Emerald Fennell UK/US 2026, 136mins.
Cast: Jacob Elordi, Margot Robbie, Hong Chau, Martin Clunes, Owen Coper, Charlotte Mellington
Review by Carlie Newman
The scenery, costumes and emotional acting of the leads gives a great atmospheric feeling of the novel. But the story has been vastly altered by Fennell with the loss of some major characters and a complete absence of the next generation – the children of Cathy, Heathcliff and Hindley (Cathy’s brother in the Brontë book).
We shouldn’t really be surprised as Emerald Fennell has been quite open in saying that she has adapted the novel and as director as well as screenwriter she has even puts italics around the title. The original book was written in 1847 and the film is set in 18th-century England.
Mr Earnshaw (an almost unrecognisable Martin Clunes) returns to his home, Wuthering Heights, with a young boy he has found living on the streets of Liverpool. Catherine Earnshaw (played by Charlotte Mellington when young and Margot Robbie later) calls the boy Heathcliff (young Heathcliff is played by Owen Cooper and later by Jacob Elordi) and the two grow extremely close.
Catherine has had Nelly (Hong Chou) as a close companion all her life and it is Nelly who is responsible for Heathcliff overhearing Cathy saying that it would degrade her to marry the lowly Heathcliff but sees him depart before earring Cathy express her deep love for him. Devastated, Heathcliff rides away on a horse.
Cathy is attracted to the lifestyle of the rich family who have moved in near her. She ingratiates herself with them and marries Edgar Lynton. She continues to miss Heathcliff. Returning five years later rich and well turned out, he is still angry with Cathy. To make her jealous he marries Edgar’s sister, Isabella. He treats Isabella terribly, forcing her into a horrible BDSM relationship.
Cathy and Heathcliff are drawn together and become lovers. When she becomes very ill, it is Heathcliff who comes to her bedside. The story continues…. but no more spoilers here!
With some characters omitted and others having very changed characteristics- Cathy’s father becomes an alcoholic and gambler before he dies and Nelly is here portrayed as The illegitimate daughter of a Lord, the movie is very obviously just based on the novel.
However, it is very well directed, beautifully shot and the actors, in the main, portray the story as the director wishes. Although a little old for the adult Cathy, Margot Robbie looks lovely, wears her costumes well and emotes effectively. Jacob Elordi is a fairly dark-skinned hero and the best looking Heathcliff since Laurence Olivier!
Go see the film and enjoy the sexual chemistry between the two leads, the background music (occasionally too loud to hear the spoken words clearly) and lovely cinematography, but don’t expect to see Emily Brontë‘s Wuthering Heights!
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