There are movies that whisper romance, and then there are movies that kick the door open, throw a corset across the room, and dare you not to stare. Wuthering Heights lands somewhere in the middle. Directed by Emerald Fennell, this new take on the classic story feels less like a dusty literary adaptation and more like a storm rolling across the rolling hills of Yorkshire with an devious smirk on its face.
If you somehow dodged reading the novel in English class, the story follows Catherine and Heathcliff, two outsiders bound together by class, obsession, pride, and a whole lot of bad decisions. Margot Robbie plays Catherine with a kind of dangerous charm that makes you understand why everyone in the room either falls for her or wants to escape her orbit. Jacob Elordi’s Heathcliff moves through the film like a ghost that learned how to wear designer boots. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the film knows it. The camera lingers just long enough to make you feel like a third wheel at the world’s most dramatic situationship.
What surprised me most is how raw the dialogue feels. Even with the period setting, the emotions come across modern and messy. Fennell leans into the toxicity of these characters rather than trying to sanitize it, which makes the film fascinating even when the characters themselves are not exactly people you want to invite to brunch. Some viewers might struggle with that. These are flawed people making flawed choices, and the movie does not always hold your hand while you process it.
Visually, the film is stunning. The cold air and consistently nasty weather almost crawls through the screen, and the mud, wind, and worn fabrics make the world feel authentic rather than staged. It avoids the polished museum look most period dramas fall into. The cinematography pulls you into the environment a kind of makes you feel like you’ll need a warm drink just to recover. The costume design deserves a standing ovation for building a world that feels realistic.
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi carry a massive emotional load in their characters and handle it with confidence. Supporting players like Shazad Latif and Alison Oliver add layers of depth that keep the story from collapsing into pure melodrama. There’s a moment you’ll likely find yourself getting frustrated with the characters, but the actors continue to sell every beat with conviction.
The movie feels like it stumbled in the third act as it takes a sharp turn that feels more rushed than earned, leaving some of the character motivations feeling shaky. It is not a complete disaster and doesn’t ruin the film, but it does rob the story of a bit of emotional payoff that the earlier acts set up so well.
Still, this is the kind of movie that might linger in your head long after the credits roll. The amount of gaslighting by the characters creates a messy, dramatic, frustrating, and strangely hypnotic relationship that makes it feel like you’re watching an entire season of a reality dating show with excellent cinematography. It’s not perfect, but definitely memorable. In an era where so many films play it safe, I’ll take bold and imperfect over forgettable any day.
Final Verdict
★★★★☆ 4 out of 5 stars
Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is passionate, stylish, and just chaotic enough to keep you leaning forward in your seat, even when you want to yell at the characters to make better life choices.
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