Reviews for Emerald Fennell's highly anticipated adaptation of Emily Brontë's classic novel Wuthering Heights have been polarising, with critics offering both one and five-star ratings. The film, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, currently holds a 71 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating a generally positive overall response despite stark divisions.
Major publications have expressed sharply contrasting views. The Telegraph awarded the film five stars, calling it 'resplendently lurid, oozy and wild', while the BBC gave it four stars, describing it as an 'utterly absorbing' reinvention. However, The Times and The Guardian each gave two stars, with The Times criticising the 'chemistry-free central romance' and The Guardian labelling it an 'emotionally hollow, bodice-ripping misfire'. The Independent handed out one star, deeming it an 'astonishingly hollow work' and noting that the performances verge on pantomime.
Fennell's loose adaptation follows the destructive love story of Cathy and Heathcliff in 18th-century Yorkshire, from an intense childhood bond to an all-consuming obsession spanning two generations. The synopsis promises 'an epic tale of lust, love and madness'. Despite the mixed critical reception, the film has been praised by some for being 'sexy, exhilarating and visually stunning', while others argue it lacks subtlety.
