Emerald Fennell’s bold new adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel Wuthering Heights has taken the film world by storm since its theatrical release on February 13, 2026. Starring Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, the film has not only dominated the box office but also ignited heated debate among critics, fans, and literary purists. Fennell’s vision, which focuses solely on the first half of Brontë’s 1847 novel, has been praised for its creativity and visual flair, yet criticized for its sweeping departures from the original material and its omission of the story’s generational themes.
From the outset, Fennell sets an audacious tone. The film opens with a disturbing scene: a man being hanged, while the onlookers are fixated on an involuntary physical response rather than the tragedy itself. This jarring image, far from gratuitous, was a deliberate choice. As Fennell explained to USA Today, "With the first moments of a film, you need to set the tone and say what it is. This is a deeply felt romance. But I also wanted people to understand that it would be surprising and darkly funny and perhaps stranger than they would expect. It was important to acknowledge early on that arousal and danger are kind of the same thing – that is what the Gothic is, and it was important that the first thing we see is Cathy, this young girl, seemingly frightened but then actually delighted."
This approach immediately signals to viewers that they are in for a very different kind of period drama. Fennell’s adaptation eschews the typical pastel-hued, genteel aesthetics of Regency-era films in favor of latex, sparkles, and scandalously graphic sex scenes—choices that both intrigue and repel audiences. According to Hearst Magazines, the film’s modern stylistic touches and its willingness to lean into the darker, more erotic aspects of Brontë’s original Gothic romance set it apart from previous adaptations.
One of the most significant departures from the novel is Fennell’s decision to focus exclusively on the doomed romance between Catherine and Heathcliff, omitting the second generation of characters and the thematic exploration of generational trauma. In Brontë’s novel, the consequences of Catherine and Heathcliff’s obsessive love echo through their children, creating a haunting depiction of inherited suffering and redemption. By contrast, Fennell’s film ends with the death of Catherine, cutting out the entire second half of the novel and leaving the story’s arc incomplete. As Collider notes, "Without seeing how the unrequited love between Catherine and Heathcliff manifests, Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is a standard period romance that lacks bite."
The narrative changes don’t stop there. The character of Hindley Earnshaw, Catherine’s brother and Heathcliff’s chief tormentor, is removed entirely. Instead, Mr. Earnshaw (Martin Clunes) assumes the role of Heathcliff’s adversary, but his presence fades after Catherine’s marriage to Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif). This streamlining of characters simplifies the story but muddies motivations, especially Heathcliff’s infamous return for revenge—a plot point that loses much of its impact without Hindley and his son Hareton. As a result, Heathcliff’s actions appear less like a calculated quest for vengeance and more like the bitter outbursts of a spurned lover.
Fennell’s film also radically reimagines the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff. Where Brontë’s novel is defined by longing, repression, and societal barriers, the film dives headfirst into their physical affair. The two protagonists share a passionate, clandestine relationship that plays out in gardens, moors, and even carriages. This explicit depiction of their love, while modern and bold, strips away much of the tension that made the original story so haunting. As Hearst Magazines observes, "The film version of Cathy and Heathcliff portrays the two confessing their real feelings for each other shortly after Cathy receives news of her father’s death… What follows is a passionate, whirlwind affair."
The fallout from their affair is swift and brutal. Nelly Dean (Hong Chau), Catherine’s loyal servant, discovers the truth and informs Edgar, who promptly forbids further contact between Catherine and Heathcliff. In a fit of anger and heartbreak, Heathcliff elopes with Isabella (Alison Oliver), Edgar’s ward—though in the novel, Isabella is Edgar’s sister, and the marriage is motivated by revenge and inheritance. The film reframes this union as a petty act of retaliation, further simplifying the complex web of motivations that drive the characters in Brontë’s narrative.
Catherine’s health deteriorates after learning of Heathcliff’s elopement. Nelly, feeling guilty for her role in the lovers’ separation, burns Heathcliff’s letters to Catherine, deepening her despair. Eventually, Nelly relents and informs Heathcliff of Catherine’s illness, but he arrives too late. Catherine dies after suffering a bloody miscarriage, and the film closes with Heathcliff crawling into bed with her corpse as memories of their childhood flicker across the screen. This ending, while visually striking, leaves many of the novel’s most significant themes unexplored. As Hearst Magazines points out, "Fennell ended her movie with Cathy’s death, [but] the pivotal scene only occurred halfway through the original novel."
Despite—or perhaps because of—these bold choices, Fennell’s Wuthering Heights has been a commercial hit. Its opening weekend topped the box office, and it currently shares the highest Rotten Tomatoes score (85%) for a Wuthering Heights adaptation, tying with the 1939 classic. The film’s casting decisions and narrative liberties have polarized audiences, with some praising Fennell’s willingness to take risks and others decrying the loss of the novel’s depth. Fennell herself remains unapologetic, telling USA Today, "All I could do was make a movie that made me feel the way the book made me feel, and therefore it just felt right to say it’s Wuthering Heights, and it isn’t."
Fennell’s penchant for provocation is nothing new. Her previous film, Saltburn (2023), also starring Elordi, shocked audiences with its infamous "bathtub scene" and themes of psychosexual obsession. With Wuthering Heights, she has once again demonstrated a willingness to challenge expectations and push boundaries, drawing comparisons to other modern Gothic reinterpretations such as Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu.
While some viewers have speculated that the film’s open ending might set the stage for a sequel covering the omitted material, Fennell has not confirmed any such plans. For now, her adaptation stands as a provocative, incomplete, and undeniably memorable take on Brontë’s masterpiece—a film that, like its central characters, refuses to be easily categorized or forgotten.
Whatever one’s opinion, Fennell’s Wuthering Heights has succeeded in reigniting conversation around a literary classic, proving that even after nearly two centuries, the story of Catherine and Heathcliff can still shock, seduce, and divide.