Emerald Fennell’s hotly anticipated film adaptation of ‘Wuthering Heights,’ starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, has sparked a fierce divide among critics ahead of its Valentine’s Day weekend release, with reviews ranging from effusive praise to harsh condemnation.
The film, described as a loose and audacious reinvention of Emily Brontë’s classic gothic novel, has been lauded by some for its resplendent style and visceral energy. Robbie Collin of The Telegraph awarded it five stars, calling it ‘resplendently lurid, oozy and wild,’ and praising Fennell for understanding that ‘style can be substance.’ Similarly, the BBC’s review highlighted the film’s ability to channel the novel’s corrosive emotions, noting that it becomes ‘utterly absorbing’ if embraced as a bold reinvention rather than a strict adaptation.
However, other critics have dismissed the adaptation as shallow and misguided. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw gave it just two stars, describing it as an ’emotionally hollow, bodice-ripping misfire’ and criticizing it for being ‘quasi-erotic, pseudo-romantic.’ Kevin Maher of The Times echoed this sentiment, awarding two stars and lamenting the ‘chemistry-free central romance,’ with Robbie’s Cathy likened to a ‘Brontë Barbie’ and Elordi’s Heathcliff reduced to ‘pouty man-candy.’
The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey was even harsher, bestowing a single star and calling the film ‘an astonishingly hollow work.’ She argued that it guts the novel’s emotional depth, reducing the characters to simplistic tropes and pushing performances ‘almost to the border of pantomime.’ This polarization extends to other outlets, with reviews split between those who find it electrifying and those who see it as a superficial spectacle.
Beyond the critical divide, the film has attracted attention for its provocative elements, including BDSM-inspired scenes and a soundtrack by Charli XCX. Set in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it stars Elordi as the tortured Heathcliff and Robbie as the wilful Cathy, with Fennell marketing it as a personal take using quote marks—’Wuthering Heights’—to signify its interpretive nature.
The mixed reception reflects broader debates about modern adaptations of literary classics, balancing fidelity to source material with creative reinvention. Fennell, known for previous works like ‘Saltburn’ and ‘Promising Young Woman,’ has deliberately embraced a maximalist approach, which some critics argue sacrifices emotional resonance for stylistic excess.
As the film prepares for its UK release on 13 February, the divided reviews may fuel audience curiosity, positioning it as a must-see cinematic event for its boldness or a cautionary tale of adaptation gone awry. The ongoing discourse highlights the challenges of translating a revered novel to the screen in an era that values both innovation and authenticity.
