Emerald Fennell’s bold and artful interpretation of Wuthering Heights uses the classic novel as a jumping-off point. The result is a film that’s distinctly of the moment.
Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights
Adaptations of literature, whether high or low, often choose one side of a binary. They are either faithful adaptations that aim at preserving a novel’s intent (think of the fealty in Guillermo del Toro’s recent take on Frankenstein) or loose interpretations updating a tale to modern times (see the teen-targeted versions of classics popular in the ’90s, such as Clueless or 10 Things I Hate About You).
Those choices, however, do not always yield the finest results. While there are strong examples of each approach, many undeniable classics take ample liberties with their source material. All-time greats including Jaws, The Shining and Psycho are less “adapted from” as they are “inspired by.”
Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights belongs in that camp. The proper nouns of the novel are present: Cathy and Heathcliff, Thrushcross Grange and the titular Wuthering Heights. So, too, are the rainy, windswept atmosphere and the dim light of the novel. Beyond those elements and several key story beats, however, there isn’t all that much of Emily Brontë’s gothic tragedy present on screen — and plenty of what does appear is worlds away from the stark, bleak world of the novel.
In this case, that’s a good thing. A faithful Wuthering Heights is certainly possible (though it might have to be a miniseries), but it would not have the electricity, artful flourishes and salacious thrills of Fennell’s film. Traditionalists, step aside: This is Wuthering Heights for 2026.
Robbie and Elordi are Catherine and Heathcliff Unbound
Here, adopted ward Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) and downtrodden heiress Catherine (Margot Robbie) become star-crossed lovers as circumstance and stubbornness hold them apart. Devoted to one another as children, they grow into young adults reluctant to pursue one another’s affections. With a father (Martin Clunes) who drinks and gambles away the family fortune, a companion (Hong Chau) who acts like a governess and a house defined by decay, the notion of love seems alien.
Until, that is, Catherine has a brush with the finer things in life. Recovering from a sprained ankle in the posh home of bachelor Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif), Catherine sees a chance at comfort and pleasure — and an escape from her own dire fortunes. Her interest in Linton comes as a betrayal by Heathcliff; when he vanishes, she marries her drab but devoted neighbor, moving into a life where she is more doll than woman.
The film renders this literally, as her sort-of-sister-in-law Isabella (Alison Oliver) crafts an unsettling figurine of Catherine and places it in a scale model of their mansion. It’s appropriately eerie — as is the wallpaper that they model after Catherine’s cheeks, complete with freckles and veins.
Fennell focuses on such anatomic details (with more fascination than prurience) throughout Wuthering Heights, creating a meditation on the physical sensations of desire and discomfort. Bold choices abound; this is a film that never misses an opportunity for invention. While its narrative may be somewhat muted by a sense of inevitability, Wuthering Heights is a sensory delight — and a worthy, if wicked, interpretation.
Elsewhere at the Multiplex: Goats and Gunplay
The animated film Goat, about a diminutive, caprine basketball player, comes from Sony Pictures Imageworks. That group is responsible for the visual style of the Spider-Verse films, as well as last year’s hit KPop Demon Hunters — so Goat will certainly look good. Will it have the heart and wit of its predecessors? Head to the cinema to find out, preferably with a hoop-friendly young person in tow
Hopefully, a strong cast can elevate the thriller Crime 101 beyond its (perhaps deliberately) uninspiring title. The Amazon/MGM release stars Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Jason Leigh and many more… NEON is releasing Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, based on the similarly named Canadian comedy series, in select theaters this weekend. No, the film has nothing to do with Kurt Cobain’s band. Rather, it’s a mockumentary about a pair of friends determined to become rock stars despite lacking all the required talent
If you’re in the Pittsburgh area, sort out the Oscar season contenders and pretenders with me this Sunday afternoon. I’ll be a part of the second annual “Oscar Talk” event at the Lindsay Theater in Sewickley, alongside my fellow critics Lindsey Bahr, Megan McLachlan and Amanda Waltz. We’ll tell you which movies you actually should watch before Oscar night (catch up with Hamnet, for one) and which you can safely skip (F1, it’s an honor just to be nominated).
Story by Sean Collier
Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures’ Wuthering Heights
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