When Emily Brontë’s classic novel Wuthering Heights first hit shelves in 1847, it shocked Victorian readers with its tempestuous characters and wild moorland passions. Now, nearly two centuries later, the story is once again at the center of cultural conversation—thanks to a bold new film adaptation directed by Emerald Fennell and starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. Released in February 2026, the movie has reignited debates about the novel’s themes, its complicated characters, and the enduring question of what makes a great adaptation.
For many, Wuthering Heights was a rite of passage in high school English class. As Hannah Carapellotti wrote in her February 13, 2026, piece for The Everygirl, she first encountered the book as required reading and, like many students, only skimmed the surface. "I’d read whatever chapters we were assigned on a given day, but I couldn’t tell you anything about what it all meant," she recalled. Years later, with an English degree in hand and a renewed curiosity sparked by news of the film, Carapellotti revisited the novel—and discovered layers of meaning she’d missed as a teenager.
One of the most significant insights Carapellotti and other modern readers have highlighted is the portrayal of Heathcliff, the book’s infamous antihero. While Brontë never explicitly states Heathcliff’s race, his outsider status is reinforced by descriptions that hint at his being a person of color. Carapellotti points out passages where Heathcliff laments, "I wish I had light hair and a fair skin…and had a chance of being as rich as he will be!" Throughout the novel, he is subjected to cruel names and described as having "half-civilized ferocity." These details, Carapellotti argues, make Heathcliff’s story even more tragic, as he is ostracized and mistreated not only for his social status but also for his identity.
This context has made the casting of Jacob Elordi—a white actor—as Heathcliff in the new film a flashpoint for discussion. As Carapellotti notes, "No matter how good a performance Jacob Elordi may give, I can’t help but feel we’ll lose a lot of depth to Heathcliff in the movie with him in the role." The casting choice, she suggests, risks erasing the rich subtext of otherness and exclusion that is central to Heathcliff’s character.
But the movie, directed by Emerald Fennell, is not shy about reimagining the source material. According to Kevin Fallon’s review for The Daily Beast, Fennell’s adaptation is a “messily sprawling, only kinda sporadically hot, but still transfixing version” of the story. Fallon describes the film as “over-the-top, ‘edgy,’ but in quotes only,” drawing comparisons to the adolescent drama of Cruel Intentions and the stylized romance of Romeo + Juliet. For Fallon, the movie taps into a sense of nostalgic, middle-school excitement: "That’s the value of ‘Wuthering Heights,’ and that’s why, mark my words, it’s going to be a big deal." He predicts the film will perform surprisingly well at the box office in the wake of its holiday weekend release.
At the heart of both the novel and the film is the tumultuous relationship between Catherine (played by Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff. Carapellotti, reflecting on her adult reading of the book, is quick to dispel the myth that theirs is a great romance. She writes, “Their obsession with each other causes so much damage, I don’t know how I ever believed it was a romance.” The characters’ codependency and destructive choices, she argues, are far from the ideals of love and partnership. Instead, she sees the story as fundamentally about revenge and the corrosive effects of obsession. "Most of the movie’s promo calls Wuthering Heights ‘the greatest love story of all time.’ The toxicity of Cathy and Heathcliff’s relationship aside, I think this description downplays that this book is messy as hell. I missed all of the drama as a teenager!"
Despite the film’s loose approach to adaptation—its official title even includes quote marks, a wink to purists—some viewers have found it thrillingly entertaining. Fallon admits, "I kind of loved this messily sprawling, only kinda sporadically hot, but still transfixing version of Wuthering Heights." Fennell’s direction, he notes, is designed to elicit strong reactions, and Margot Robbie’s performance is singled out as particularly magnetic. "I can’t remember the last time I was so taken by how beautiful a person looked on a big screen as Margot Robbie shot by Emerald Fennell in this movie," Fallon gushes.
The adaptation’s appeal, according to Fallon, lies in its willingness to embrace the outlandish and the sensational. "It satisfies something that I think we all cinematically crave: outlandish, stunty, trashy romance. The quintessential middle-school movie." The film’s willingness to lean into melodrama and spectacle, rather than strict fidelity to the novel, may be precisely what makes it resonate with a new generation of viewers.
Yet, as both Carapellotti and Fallon acknowledge, the film’s creative liberties are bound to provoke strong opinions—especially among fans of the original novel. Carapellotti, a self-described purist when it comes to adaptations, confesses, "From what I’ve seen of this one, I know I’m not gonna like it. (Will I still go see it? Maybe.)" For her, the richness of Brontë’s text, especially its nuanced exploration of race, class, and identity, risks being flattened in translation to the screen.
Still, there’s no denying that Wuthering Heights—both the book and the new film—continues to spark passionate debate. The novel’s themes of love, revenge, and social exclusion remain relevant, even as interpretations shift with each new adaptation. For some, the story’s enduring messiness is precisely what makes it so compelling. As Carapellotti puts it, "After revisiting Wuthering Heights, I have a newfound appreciation for it, and I definitely understand why it’s considered a classic."
With audiences flocking to theaters and critics weighing in from all sides, the latest incarnation of Wuthering Heights proves that Brontë’s tale of the wild moors—and the even wilder hearts who haunt them—still has the power to captivate, confound, and inspire.