‘Wuthering Heights’ reviews: Critics divided on Emerald Fennell’s gothic romance

Emerald Fennell’s new take on Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights arrived in theaters Friday, Feb. 13, just ahead of Valentine’s Day weekend. Starring Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, the R-rated romance is set on the Yorkshire moors.

The film, produced by Ms. Robbie’s LuckyChap and released by Warner Bros., runs 136 minutes and reinterprets the 1847 novel. The reception so far is sharply divided. 

As of Friday afternoon, the film held a 70 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 60 on Metacritic, making it “fresh” but marking Ms. Fennell’s lowest aggregate scores following Promising Young Woman and Saltburn. The Hollywood Reporter described the early response as ranging from praise for its sensuality to criticism of its coherence.

Critics: Carnal spectacle or hollow misfire

On the enthusiast side, David Sims of The Atlantic called the film a “heaving, rip-snortingly carnal good time,” arguing that its wild tonal swings and the pairing of Ms. Robbie and Mr. Elordi showcase Ms. Fennell’s flair for maximalist melodrama.

A critics’ roundup from Rotten Tomatoes said the two leads “sizzle” in what it described as a “raw, indulgent adaptation,” while cautioning that devoted readers of Brontë’s novel may object to the liberties taken. Vogue labeled the film an “indulgent delight” and a “big, bold, gaudy, controversial melodrama,” praising its production design and Linus Sandgren’s cinematography.

Other reviewers were far less impressed. In The Independent, Clarisse Loughrey called the adaptation “astonishingly bad,” likening it to “a limp Mills & Boon” and arguing that the performances verge on pantomime. Writing in The New Yorker, Justin Chang described the film as “extravagantly superficial,” contending that its visual excess overwhelms the tragic force of Brontë’s story.

An Associated Press review similarly called the film “bold but shallow,” commending its ambition while questioning whether the emotional core of the novel survives the stylistic overhaul.

Casting debate: Heathcliff and race

One of the most persistent talking points centers on casting. Some readers and social media commentators have argued that casting Mr. Elordi, who is White, overlooks longstanding interpretations of Heathcliff as a racially ambiguous and marginalized figure.

A recent essay in The Times of London noted that Brontë describes Heathcliff in terms that emphasize his outsider status, including references to his dark appearance and comparisons that mark him as ethnically other within the novel’s 19th-century context. Critics quoted there argue that the character’s racial ambiguity is central to many contemporary readings of the book.

Ms. Fennell has defended her approach in interviews, saying she set out to create her own version of the story rather than a definitive adaptation. The debate reflects a broader cultural conversation about representation in literary adaptations and who gets to inhabit canonical roles on screen.

Big swings: Half a novel, a different ending

Ms. Fennell has been open about reshaping the source material. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she said the film focuses primarily on the first half of Brontë’s novel, centering on the volatile relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff and omitting much of the second generation of characters that drives the book’s latter chapters.

She also confirmed that the film’s ending departs from the novel’s structure, concentrating on Cathy’s decline and death rather than the extended generational resolution that concludes Brontë’s narrative. Ms. Fennell told Entertainment Weekly that condensing the story was necessary to shape a cohesive two-hour film and to emphasize what she views as the novel’s core dynamic: obsessive, destructive love.

TIME framed the result as a highly personal interpretation, closer to a youthful memory of reading the novel than a strictly faithful retelling, an approach that has divided critics.

Soundtrack and style: Charli XCX’s Gothic pop

If there is near-consensus, it may be on the soundtrack. Charli XCX curated the film’s music and contributed new material, including a collaboration with Sky Ferreira. In interviews covered by Pitchfork, the pop star described the project as an exploration of a darker, Gothic-inflected British sound intended to complement Ms. Fennell’s heightened visual style.

An Associated Press music review called the soundtrack a moody companion piece that stands on its own, while The Guardian praised the record’s atmospheric ambition.

In Brontë country

At the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, staff members told The Guardian they “loved” the film, praising its energy and emotional force despite its explicit content and significant changes to the story.

The museum has mounted a special exhibition tracing the novel’s screen history and expressed hope that renewed attention will encourage audiences to return to Brontë’s original text.

Box office outlook

Industry tracking reported by Variety projects a global opening weekend in the $50 million to $70 million range, positioning Wuthering Heights as an early 2026 test of whether an R-rated literary adaptation can break out beyond core art-house audiences.

As more reviews are counted, the film’s aggregate scores continue to fluctuate. Whether controversy dampens ticket sales or fuels curiosity may become clearer in the coming days.

Between now and then, one thing seems certain: Ms. Fennell’s Wuthering Heights has reignited debate over how, and whether, to modernize one of English literature’s stormiest romances.