Wuthering Heights is considered a classic piece if Literature. With over 30 adaptations of the work of Emily Brontë, it would be a safe assumption to say that nothing fresh could come out of these adaptations. I can’t say fully, having only seen one of them, but it would be hard to find a more definitive and streamlined version of the work than this 2026 take. The novel, while impressive given that a woman was able to get published in 1847, in my opinion lacks the romance and love that this adaptation showcases. This type of romance was more along the lines of what I was expecting out of the novel and never found. Granted, in 1847, publishing as well as writing styles and standards were vastly different than they are today, but I struggled finding what made the novel such a classic. This film, while die hard fans of the book will surely take issue with the liberties taken, I felt encapsulated the ideas and themes of the book very well.

Written and directed by Emerald Fennell and starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, Wuthering Heights above all else is about love. Robbie and Elordi have amazing chemistry, which is necessary given how much screen time they share throughout the 136 minute runtime. The film gets to the bare bones of the novels story, while cutting out most of the seemingly unnecessary children arc from the latter half of the book. This opens up the film to focus on the love between Catherine and Heathcliff and their chemistry truly is the movies highlight. While this version is quite a bit more steamy than the book and assumedly past adaptations, it doesn’t detract from the story at all. If anything, these scenes give the climax of the film the weight it needs to be effective. Even with its 2+ hour runtime this film never feels like it overstays its welcome or drags.

The set design and cinematography are also gorgeous and give the film such a lived in feel. There are scenes in this film that, given the lighting and camera placement, could be paintings. The team behind this movie, cast and crew, seemed truly dedicated to this particular vision for the film and it shows. Wuthering Heights, though divisive for some, is at its core, about love, that can sometimes be tumultuous, but also honest, even if that hurts. The film has a lot to say, and thankfully incredible actors were chosen to speak for it, making it a powerful and heartbreaking romance that will stand the test of time, if its source material can’t.

9/10.