Introduction to the New Adaptation
Emerald Fennell's much-anticipated reinvention of Wuthering Heights, featuring Australian stars Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie, has sparked divided opinions among film critics as it approaches its Valentine's weekend release.
Emily Brontë's gothic narrative of passion, obsession, and revenge centers on the tumultuous relationship between the free-spirited, headstrong Cathy and the tortured yet cruel Heathcliff.
Critical Reception: Mixed Reviews
Peter Bradshaw of criticized the film, labeling it an
"emotionally hollow, bodice-ripping misfire"in his two-star review.
Conversely, Robbie Collin of The Telegraph expressed strong enthusiasm, awarding the film five stars and describing it as
"resplendently lurid, oozy and wild."
The film has attracted attention and some controversy since its announcement, particularly regarding its casting choices and reportedly BDSM-inspired scenes.
Setting and Cast
Set in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Wuthering Heights stars 28-year-old Jacob Elordi and 35-year-old Margot Robbie as the iconic literary lovers Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw.
The marketing of the film uses quotation marks around "Wuthering Heights" to indicate that this is Fennell's personal interpretation of the classic novel. Additionally, singer Charli XCX has composed an accompanying album soundtrack.
Detailed Critiques
Bradshaw from remarked that Fennell
"cranks up the campery"in her adaptation, describing it as
"a 20-page fashion shoot of relentless silliness, with bodices ripped to shreds and a saucy slap of BDSM."
Robbie Collin anticipated some criticism regarding the film's depth but defended it robustly, stating:
"Style over substance? Not at all - it's more that Fennell understands that style can be substance when you do it right. Cathy and Heathcliff's passions vibrate through their dress, their surroundings, and everything else within reach, and you leave the cinema quivering on their own private frequency."
Publisher References and Further Criticism
Publisher Mills & Boon was mentioned in multiple reviews. Dulcie Pearce of The Sun suggested the film replaced parts of Brontë's original text with elements reminiscent of romance novels, writing:
"This over-stylised drama is fierce and fun - but unfortunately it is also sex over substance."
Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent gave the film a single star, stating:
"Emerald Fennell's astonishingly bad adaptation is like a limp Mills & Boon. Robbie and Elordi's performances are almost pushed to the border of pantomime, while Fennell's provocations seem to define the poor as sexual deviants and the rich as clueless prudes."
More Balanced Perspectives
Other critics offered more tempered views. Danny Leigh of the Financial Times awarded three stars and commented:
"As the sexual tension cranks, the mood feels like an arthouse Carry On, with lingering shots of gloopy egg whites. The rest of the movie grabs the attention so hard, Charli XCX does the soundtrack and you don't even notice."
Leigh was not alone in comparing the film to a Carry On production. Donald Clarke of the Irish Times also gave three stars, noting:
"The surprise for many will be how closely this supposed deconstruction sticks to the shape of Emily Brontë's original narrative. The opening scene was closer to Carry on Heathcliff than The 120 Days of Sodom."
Similarly, Beth Webb of Empire awarded three stars, describing the film as
"undeniably expertly crafted."She added:
"Fennell throws everything at this fever-dream adaptation, which massages the senses while showcasing Elordi's ever-growing star power. If only its electrically erotic energy was sustained to the end."
Lead Performances and Chemistry
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter praised the chemistry between Elordi and Robbie:
"The leads are captivating and their chemistry sizzles. Robbie is in full bloom, walking a tightrope between infuriating recklessness and devastating regret. Fennell's overhaul flirts with insanity, and if you can let go of preconceived notions about how this story should be told, it's arguably the writer-director's most purely entertaining film."
Vicky Jessop of the Standard also commended the pair's on-screen relationship, awarding the film four stars and writing:
"Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi have bags of chemistry in this unashamedly high-camp adaptation of Emily Bronte's book. Emerald Fennell serves us full-throated, filthy maximalism."
Additional Criticism
Kevin Maher of The Times was less impressed, giving the film two stars. Referencing Robbie's acclaimed role in Greta Gerwig's Barbie, he described her as a
"Brontë Barbie"and argued that Fennell has
"doomed Elordi with a fatally shallow characterisation, recasting Heathcliff as pouty man-candy with a shaky Yorkshire accent."
Other reviews ranged from Brian Viner's two-star rating in The Daily Mail to Therese Lacson of Collider, who opined that Brontë
"is absolutely rolling in her grave."
Meanwhile, David Sim of The Atlantic offered a positive perspective, calling this Fennell's
"best film to date - a heaving, rip-snortingly carnal good time at the cinema."
Release Information
Wuthering Heights is scheduled to open in the UK on 13 February.
