Title – Wuthering Heights (2026)

Director – Emerald Fennell (Saltburn)

Cast – Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Hong Chau, Alison Oliver, Shazad Latif

Plot – A reimagining of Emily Brontë’s revered novel that follows the tumultuous love between Catherine Earnshaw (Robbie) and Heathcliff (Elordi) that takes place in the unforgiving world of the Yorkshire countryside in the 1800’s.

“You’re not enough”

Review by Eddie on 13/02/2026

It’s entirely plausible that a large portion of Wuthering Heights keen audience are heading into a film they expect to be a certain something that it’s absolutely not, as writer/director Emerald Fennell marches headfirst through her very loose adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic that was first published in the late 1840’s.

Working Brontë’s text into her own version of a seemingly doomed romance between Margot Robbie’s prim and proper Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi’s orphaned servant boy she names Heathcliff, with the two characters also portrayed impressively by Charlotte Mellington and Adolescence breakout star Owen Cooper respectively in their younger years, Fennell will offend and annoy many with her version of this beloved tale but at the same time she will win many over with her fiercely passionate and artistic take on a frequently told story.

Bringing the same energy and vibrancy she delivered in her Oscar nominated debut Promising Young Woman and even more so in her divisive and much talked about sophomore feature Saltburn, from the moment Heights starts in an unexpected and eye-popping fashion there’s little stopping it across its two hour plus running time, even if the films much fabled controversies end up being mostly pre-release hype as Fennell shows some forms of restraint in doing/showing things to shock and titillate, with nothing here coming close to the likes of Saltburn’s bathtub or graveyard sequences.

A melting pot of unrealized love, passion, friendship and soul searching, as well as some unexpectedly hearty doses of comedic relief at times, courtesy mostly of Martin Clune’s reimagined Mr. Earnshaw and Alison Oliver’s vulnerable Isabella, Heights is a lot of things all at once and can at times falter in balancing out its many ingredients but it’s all very minor when Fennell and her two leads are so committed to the cause.

Backed by Linus Sandgren’s eye-capturing cinematography, another fine collaboration between himself and Fennell after Saltburn, and an emotive score by Anthony Willis that works in well with Charlie XCX’s songs, the on-screen chemistry and back and forward between Robbie and Elordi will most likely go down as some of the years most talked about and after a hefty pre-release campaign blitz by the two talented Australian ex-pats, it’s great to see it wasn’t all bark and no bite.

Full of longing looks, soulful gazes and more than a few kisses, this iteration of Catherine and Heathcliff might not stick excessively to the original text, but it doesn’t stop this exploration of their affections from being any less effective, as young friends turned complicated soul mates plays out before our eyes, sure to affect anyone who has bought into Fennell’s vision that makes no apologies for being the way it is.

Three films into her feature film career, there appears to be no slowing down for Fennell, who by now has showed enough to be regarded as one of the most creative and unapologetic writer/directors out there, even if her style and her approach isn’t going to win over any new fans as she goes merrily on her way no matter the kickback.

Final Say –

This is not the Wuthering Heights you grew up with but Fennell’s take on the classic has crafted its own unique vibrancy and heart, one that’s delivered memorably by a fiery cast and a creative aesthetic that’s going to be divisive but beautiful and unexpected for those that jump on board.

4 1/2 broken eggs out of 5