Come for the Smolder and Stay for the Emotional Ruin in Wuthering Heights

I’ve never heard a packed theater collectively “gasp” and nervously chuckle as it did during the very first scene of Emerald Fennell’s latest feature, Wuthering Heights.

Loosely inspired by Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel, Fennell aimed to create a film that mirrors how her 14-year-old self first imagined the book when she read it: a flamboyant, provocative, and exaggerated adaptation that her teenage mind had filled in the gaps.

I was completely unfamiliar with the original story or any of its film adaptations, so I approached this without prior knowledge. I am a reader of fantasy and dark romance books, so the trailers and posters caught my eye. They reminded me of old-school mass-marketed trashy romance novels you would see in the grocery store, and I found that very charming. Plus, Jacob Elordi is one of the biggest stars right now (in terms of fame and height). After his excellent role in Frankenstein, I had to see this.

As is often the case with book adaptations, fans of the source material may be more critical than I am, but this is my review as a complete Wuthering Heights virgin (no pun intended).

Fennell sets the tone with the opening scene, as Charli XCX’s voice darkly sings, “I think I’m going to die in this house.” There’s a public execution, couples are getting hot and bothered, and children are snickering, making it an overall darkly chaotic scene.

We meet a young Cathy (Charlotte Mellington) at her rundown home, Wuthering Heights. Her abusive father, Mr. Earnshaw (Martin Clunes), brings home an orphan boy (Owen Cooper) whom he gives to Cathy as a “pet”. She names him Heathcliff after her deceased brother, and the two form a bond over time.

Fast forward to when the two are grown. An unkempt Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) is more of an enslaved person to the family, but he and Cathy (Margot Robbie) flirt in the way teenagers do, through practical jokes and banter.

Cathy notices that a very wealthy man, Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif), and his younger sister, Isabella (Alison Oliver), have moved to town. She makes an effort to woo Edgar, hoping he will ask for her hand in marriage, mostly to achieve a higher social standing and wealth. Wuthering Heights is deteriorating due to her father’s alcoholism.

After hearing a conversation between Cathy and Nelly (Vy Nguyen), Heathcliff and his broken heart get on his horse and leave town. When he returns, he is not the same man who left, and he desires to reignite the flame with Cathy.

That’s the story in a nutshell, but there’s so much more meat to it. The marketing led us to believe this would be a horny, smut-filled jaunt, but it really isn’t. Yes, there are plenty of smoldering, mostly clothed sex scenes. But there are more clever innuendos in the B-roll footage than in anything else.

While I thought I needed a rain poncho for the film I was about to see, it was tissues I needed more.

Director Emerald Fennell elevates her work in Wuthering Heights through meticulous attention to camera angles, a carefully curated color palette, and enhanced production values, including set design and costumes. The influence of Saltburn, my favorite film of 2023, can be seen at times in the exaggerated set pieces, striking makeup, and distinctive wardrobe choices.

Fennell and cinematographer Linus Sandgren filmed the movie using 35mm VistaVision cameras, creating a stunning, atmospheric, and darkly whimsical world shrouded in mist and fog. The scenes contrast gloomy, dull colors with the rich, deep hues of the more prosperous parts of Cathy’s life, in contrast to her childhood.

It’s sensory overload in the best possible way, with tables full of elaborate food, a fireplace with hundreds of hands molded into it, and a bedroom wall designed to look like skin.

Think Saltburn meets Alice in Wonderland, set in the early 19th century. Combine that with Anthony Willis’ classical score and Charli XCX’s original songs for the film, and you have an anomaly of a film.

Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie deliver excellent performances, though I initially found it hard to be convinced by Robbie. She looks impressive for her age, but in the first act, the script depicted her and Elordi behaving more like teenagers, which made it difficult for me to believe Robbie’s portrayal. But as the film progressed and I understood more of what was happening, Robbie settled into the role of Cathy.

The chemistry was solid, creating an optimal foundation for delivering full emotional impact in the end.

But overall, Alison Oliver as Isabella and Vy Nguyen as Nelly stole the show. Oliver delivered a hilarious performance that kept the audience in stitches. It was much needed to balance out the toxic behavior of nearly everyone in this film, including Nelly. Nguyen was an unapologetic force from beginning to end, bringing the darkness full circle without breaking.

While some call this Wuthering Heights “fan fiction,” the themes it explores remain consistent: obsession, toxic relationships, and childhood trauma. Every character in this film bears emotional scars, which makes their actions both frustrating and compelling to watch.

Despite these flaws, none of the characters becomes completely unlikable, even if you sometimes want to shake them to see their true destiny.

The back-and-forth between Heathcliff and Cathy is reminiscent of my favorite trope in the books I love to read: enemies-to-lovers. A thread of revenge woven into the narrative in the latter half creates an almost childishness that makes you want to scream and wonder whether these two are actually in love.

But in the end, whether it’s love or lust, Wuthering Heights will pull at your heartstrings and leave you breathless. Get ready to be swept away by a reimagining of a classic love story plagued by toxicity and obsession. The striking visuals, performances, and impactful soundtrack create a darkly whimsical world that will leave your heart in pieces.

I rate Wuthering Heights three and a half out of five stars as someone who went in totally blind. Is this a good option for Valentine’s Day weekend? Maybe if you’re a masochist. But it is definitely a film I recommend seeing in theaters purely for the incredible sets and soundtrack.

Grab your friends who think modesty is overrated to see this—this one's for them!

Wuthering Heights is only in theaters starting February 13th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fLCdIYShEQ