Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, arrives as a visually arresting, if dramatically muted, reimagining of the gothic classic. The film, which trades the novel’s bleak Yorkshire moors for a candy-colored aesthetic, has drawn attention for its stylistic choices and departures from the source material, including a heightened focus on sensuality and a re-evaluation of key characters.
Fennell’s approach, as noted by critics, leans heavily into camp and visual spectacle. Scenes described as featuring “baseball-sized strawberries” and a “river that runs blood red” signal a deliberate departure from the novel’s austere tone. This stylistic flourish has been compared to Fennell’s previous work, such as Promising Young Woman and to Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette, though some observers suggest Fennell’s adaptation lacks the emotional depth of Coppola’s work. The film similarly draws visual parallels to Yorgos Lanthimos’s 2023 film Poor Things, though Robbie’s performance, unlike Emma Stone’s in Poor Things, doesn’t fully ignite the screen.
One significant change, according to reports, involves a more explicit exploration of sexual dynamics within the story. Tina Fey, in a podcast appearance, highlighted a third act that introduces a sexually violent turn, intended as a surprise for audiences. This addition, alongside other stylistic choices, has prompted discussion about the film’s interpretation of Brontë’s themes.
The casting of Robbie as Cathy Linton has also been a point of discussion. Descriptions of her character’s costuming – “distractingly dolled-up in ribbons that infantilize rather than garnish her beauty” – suggest a deliberate choice to portray Cathy as fragile and perhaps less self-determined than in the original novel. Elordi’s portrayal of Heathcliff initially conceals his identity behind a wig, a visual cue indicating a transformation, and later employs a single earring to signify the passage of time. Although Elordi’s physical stature aligns with the character’s imposing presence, critics have noted a lack of the “pure evil” that defines Heathcliff in Brontë’s work, suggesting a missed opportunity to fully embody the character’s monstrous nature.
The adaptation also reportedly streamlines and alters elements of the original narrative, omitting characters and modifying the ending. Details regarding these specific changes, as reported by Radio Times and Variety, indicate a significant reshaping of the plot. The film’s ending, in particular, has been subject to analysis, with Harper’s BAZAAR offering an explanation of Fennell’s choices and their implications for the story’s overall message.
Fennell’s update to a long-suffering character in the film has been highlighted as a particularly noteworthy twist, according to Time Magazine. However, the film’s overall impact remains a subject of debate, with some critics questioning whether the stylistic flourishes overshadow the core emotional and psychological complexities of Brontë’s novel.
