Emerald Fennell's new adaptation of Wuthering Heights has become one of the year's most debated films, with packed cinemas testifying to the enduring allure of Emily Brontë's tale. The film, which stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Cathy and Heathcliff, has been nicknamed “50 shades of Brontë” and has drawn scrutiny over its anachronistic costumes and music, as well as its overt sexualisation of the plot.
Fennell has described the project as a highly personal interpretation, shaped by her intense response to the book at the age of 14, hence the inverted commas around the title. She has spoken of being “obsessed” and “driven mad” by the novel, and of wanting to honour its “primal, sexual” undercurrents and the shock that greeted its original publication, when it was deemed “irredeemably monstrous”.
Purists have objected to what they see as the simplification of a novel rooted in class and racial tensions into “the greatest love story ever told”. Others have criticised the casting of older actors and the decision to overlook Brontë's description of Heathcliff as a “dark-skinned gipsy”, racially and socially othered. Fennell's previous film, Saltburn, was known for its shocking scenes, and her Wuthering Heights features moments including an aroused nun observing a hanged man, Cathy masturbating under a rock, and Isabella on all fours wearing a dog collar.
The adaptation is set against an ethereal soundtrack by Charli xcx, and its leads were already online favourites – Robbie as Barbie and Elordi as “everyone's favourite internet boyfriend”. The film has been designed for a culture shaped by virality, with scenes intended to be clipped, shared and debated.
Despite the controversy, the film recouped its $80m production budget on its opening weekend. Audience reactions at a Friday screening included squeals, gasps and tears, with one critic describing it as “an entertaining fever dream” with beautiful cinematography and a devastating final sequence. Brontë fans who prefer a more faithful adaptation still have numerous other versions to choose from.
