Film Review: ‘Wuthering Heights’ is a Sumptuous Look at Desire and Longing From Emerald Fennell As Only She Can Do It

Desire runs rampant throughout Emerald Fennell‘s take on Wuthering Heights, a unique mix of the classical text and the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s own sensibilities. After Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, I’d follow Fennell anywhere, but even I regarded this project as potentially not being my cup of team. Lo and behold, Fennell has crafted another beautiful, edgy, and deeply interesting film, one that often takes your breath away. You won’t see as much as you might expect to in this movie, given its erotic expectations, but gives you the feeling of desire, longing, lust, and yes, even love. For my money, it’s one of the best efforts of 2026 so far.

Wuthering Heights is not a straight remake, nor is it trying to be, and I actually find that to be a positive. For all the kerfuffle over what Fennell is doing here, had she done a 100% faithful adaptation, what would have been the point? That’s not a good use of her interests or talents, closer adaptations already exist, and so on. With any property being adapted, remade, or reinterpreted, bringing something new to the party is paramount. Here, Fennell’s vision does that in spades. If it’s not for you? Well, that’s fine. It’s just the pre-release rage-bait on the internet that I have no time for, especially when it’s about this wildly enjoyable and deeply effective crowd pleaser of a romantic tragedy.

A loose adaptation of the Emily Brontë novel of the same name, this is the story of Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw. As children, Cathy (Charlotte Mellington) has lost her mother, only playing with servants, while her drunken father (Martin Clunes) alternates between pity and rage. When he brings home an abused young boy (Owen Cooper) one day, Cathy essentially decides she has a pet. Naming him Heathcliff, they play together, though there’s already a romantic tension between them, one that does not dissipate as they grow up.

In later years, Heathcliff (now Jacob Elordi) works at the crumbling estate, while Cathy (now Margot Robbie) frets about finding a rich husband. They still tease each other, though now there’s also a pulsing sexual tension between them. When a curious Cathy meets their new wealthy neighbors, Edgar (Shazad Latif) and his sister Isabella (Alison Oliver), she sees a way out of poverty. A marriage to Edgar does include giving up Heathcliff, who she professes loving to her grown servant Nelly (Hong Chau). Heathcliff overhears this and vanishes, finally rejected. Years pass, Cathy marries, and when Heathcliff returns, he’s made a fortune, changed his look, and still desires Cathy. So, their destructive connection and almost romance continues, up to and past the point of no return.

Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie have insane chemistry together, especially in the first half, where they’re as much teasing each other as anything else. Elordi in particular continues to impress me here, so much so that I now see him as the correct choice to take over the role of James Bond. His physicality here, as well as the way he can play rough and tumble, as well as high society, completely work for 007. Make it happen, decision makers. As Heathcliff, he leans into internalizing the pain of his existence, dedicated only to loving and protecting Cathy. When he’s hurt and begins his devious game, you almost feel like it’s a necessary outlet. Along with Frankenstein last year, it’s the best work of his career. Robbie is excellent, too, born to be in a Fennell film. She’s able to give Cathy her great beauty while also showcasing what makes her quirky and a little unique. Robbie is having the time of her life here, and it shows. They’re the best on-screen pair of the year so far. The supporting work from Hong Chau is reliably good as Nelly, while Alison Oliver steals her scenes as Isabella, not just for her unique screen presence, but for how consistently she provides strong comic relief. Owen Cooper and Charlotte Mellington do solid work as the young versions of our protagonists, while Martin Clunes is effective as Mr. Earnshaw. Shazad Latif is a little bland as Edgar, but it’s what the role calls for. The rest of the cast includes Ewan Mitchell, Amy Morgan, Vy Nguyen, and more, though Elordi and Robbie are the showcases.

Filmmaker Emerald Fennell crafts her most beautiful looking work yet with Wuthering Heights. I’m a massive fan of Promising Young Woman (four star rave review here), considering it the best film of 2020, and love Saltburn as well (raved about here), so I really vibe with Fennell movies. At the same time, costume drama period pieces often lead to a sterile feeling that’s miles away from her flicks. So, seeing her take a genre that could be utterly boring and inject massive amounts of life into it is something to behold. Elordi and Robbie having the chemistry they do, in addition to just being supreme talents, is a real trump card for her as well. Throw in the sumptuous cinematography by Linus Sandgren, the hypnotic music from composer Anthony Willis (and original songs from Charli XCX), and impressive production design, and the direction by Fennell, as well as the scale, is something to behold. In terms of the screenplay, Fennell is liberally adapting Emily Brontë, so die-hard fans of the text may have issues, but taken as a new look at an old work, it’s very successful. Early on, she stages some moments of desire, passion, and repression between Cathy and Heathcliff that don’t rely on nudity, but will have you leaning forward in your seat. Two particular moments involving fingers may well blow minds. The final act has a bit more standard issue fare, which still works, but it’s when you really feel Fennell’s hand on the wheel that things are at their very best.

Awards-wise, the technical categories could be very friendly to Wuthering Heights. Depending on how the year goes, I’d expect see the film at least compete for citations in Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup & Hairstyling, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song. The movie may have its best overall shot in Original Song, but more is certainly possible, and hey, if it does well enough below the line, watch out for above the line contention as well.

Wuthering Heights really worked for me. If you’re devoted to the Brontë novel, it’s still there, as are more faithful adaptations, like Andrea Arnold‘s take fifteen years ago. This is a new interpretation, leaning hard into new. It stands up alongside other versions, as well as the text, offering something you haven’t seen before. We don’t get enough of that these days, so in my eyes, this is an unqualified success and an early year highlight. Prepare to come undone!

SCORE: ★★★1/2