Politics
Olivia Blake reviews movie-Marmite, “Wuthering Heights”
Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw | Image courtesy of: Warner Bros. Pictures
4 min read
It’s not one for the purists but – if you suspend your expectations – Emerald Fennell’s latest film is an indulgent treat
As a Yorkshire lass, Wuthering Heights holds a visceral place in my heart. I chose to view this new 2026 film adaptation not as the book I love, however, but as a standalone vision by director Emerald Fennell. Absolute purists will not enjoy this disconnected fantasy; it is certainly not Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. But if you suspend expectations, it is an indulgent treat.
From the opening frames – a medieval, Sweeney Todd-esque hanging scene – the viewer is plunged into a jarring crowd, introducing Cathy in this social context rather than on the isolated moors. This headlinegrabbing scene clearly tries to link sex with suffering in the viewer’s mind from the off.
There is a bizarre lack of actual nature. Compared to the raw realism of Andrea Arnold’s 2011 version, this feels like pure make-believe. The imagery is less Brontë and more Damien Hirst, presenting butchered pigs, fish in jelly and stuffed sheep that highlight the profound inauthenticity of the world on screen. Even the costumes reflect this; Cathy is cloaked in shiny, synthetic materials. Margot Robbie (Catherine Earnshaw) looks stunning throughout; she must have felt like a kid in a Gothic sweet shop.
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
I found the auditory experience equally jarring. The Yorkshire accents lacked grit, but an ‘A for effort’ for Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. The soundtrack, featuring Charli XCX, brings a dark, industrial synth-pop energy – more shadowy city than Pennine storm – though it is effective in adding to the film’s overall feel.
The younger cast is a triumph. Young Cathy (Charlotte Mellington) is sweetly acidic, while a fearful young Heathcliff is movingly portrayed by Adolescence’s Emmy-winning child star Owen Cooper. Martin Clunes shines as Cathy’s father, Earnshaw – having seemingly absorbed the book’s character of his son Hindley into a singular, monstrous caricature. The absence of Hindley fundamentally shifts the context, making the relationships less layered.
Emerald Fennell’s ‘make believe’ lacks the scent of windswept heather but possesses its own strange, man-made shine
Once the characters reach adulthood, the lead duo – Elordi and Robbie – possess a believable but shallow presence. This isn’t soul-shattering love; it is unquenchable lust. Their moments subvert the traditional male gaze but lack the heat expected from the hype – it’s certainly less shocking than Fennell’s 2023 film Saltburn. Cathy is the complete focus, unsympathetically presented even though her tragic end is foreshadowed by her crimson attire. Heathcliff appears almost an afterthought, merely a plaything for Cathy, leading me to conclude that Elordi is slightly wasted in this film, compared to his Oscar-nominated performance as Frankenstein’s monster in Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 film.
Down the hill at the Linton estate, the film shifts into an even more synthetic world, reminiscent of old Hollywood film sets. Alison Oliver’s Isabella Linton, whose creepy dolls house provides another dimension of sinister absurdity, is delightful. That Fennell’s Isabella later consents to Heathcliff’s cruelty (a drastic departure from the book) will possibly be the director’s most controversial interpretation.
The strongest part of the film is undoubtedly the relationships of the women, with this dynamic replacing the generational trauma of the source material. From a rather more villainous Nelly (Hong Chau) to an obsessive Isabella, the tension between Cathy and these characters outweighs the drama with the men.
The verdict? Emerald Fennell’s ‘make believe’ lacks the scent of windswept heather but has its own strange, man-made shine. Shallow, yes; glossy, certainly. Is it worth a watch? Yes – as long as you don’t expect the earthy style, substance, or plot of the book.
3/5. (1/5 for the purists.)
Olivia Blake is Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam
“Wuthering Heights”
Directed by: Emerald Fennell
Venue: General cinema release
