Wuthering Heights movie review by Movie Review Mom

MOVIE TITLE: Wuthering Heights (2026)

This smutty adaptation of Emily Bronte’s classic story is now available on digital platforms.

RATING: R (for mature themes, sex scenes, and coarse language)

LENGTH: 2 hours 16 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: C-

SPONSOR of Today’s movie review:

If you haven’t read the book the movie is based on, read on!

You can easily find a copy on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4tAN0lQ

IN A NUTSHELL: Director Emerald Fennell is known for her sexually graphic films, so here’s another one. She discards the propriety of the times the original Wuthering Heights story was set in (1771 to 1802), and instead, offers a reimagining of Emily Brontë’s classic 1847 novel. The story follows the intense and destructive relationship between the headstrong Cathy Earnshaw (Margot Robbie) and the brooding outsider Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) on the windswept Yorkshire moors. While the film captures the “bones” of the original story (Heathcliff’s adoption, Cathy’s marriage to the wealthy Edgar Linton, and Heathcliff’s eventual return for revenge), it chooses to focus almost entirely on the first half of the book, leaving out the second-generation characters entirely. It is a “maximalist” adaptation that leans heavily into gothic romance and sex rather than literary faithfulness.

The 2026 adaptation of Wuthering Heights, directed by Emerald Fennell and starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, is a major departure from Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel. Fennell has described the film as a “reinterpretation” meant to capture the feeling of a teenager reading the book for the first time, which results in several structural and thematic changes.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Sexual Content: The film is “intensely sensual” with frequent suggestive scenes, including “bodice-ripping,” and BDSM/fetish elements (like a character in a dog collar and a woman wearing a horse bit in her mouth).
Violence and Abuse: There are scenes of domestic and child abuse, including a character being brutally whipped and several instances of objects being thrown in anger.
Language: The film has contains coarse language throughout.
Traumatic Themes: A graphic miscarriage resulting in death (sepsis) is a major plot point that may be very distressing for some viewers.
Overall: This is definitely not a movie for children or younger teens; it’s a very dark, adult-oriented take on a classic.

THEMES:

Obsessive and Toxic Love: The film explores how an all-consuming passion can turn “intoxicating” and “destructive”.
Class and Revenge: The story touches on how societal standing separates the lovers and fuels Heathcliff’s desire for retribution.
Repression vs. Expression: Characters struggle with their wild natures in a restrictive 19th-century society.
Selfish desires are shown to hurt others.

THINGS I LIKED:

Stunning Cinematography: Linus Sandgren captures the Yorkshire moors in visually sumptuous ways that are truly breathtaking.
Strong Lead Performances: Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi have “amazing chemistry” and deliver powerful, albeit mopey, performances. The supporting cast also gives us outstanding performances of depth.
Costume Design: The bold reds and whites of the costumes are meticulously crafted and help emphasize the “dollhouse” metaphor of Cathy’s life.
Details: The design crew took photos of Margot Robbie’s skin, using them to create the wall panels in Cathy’s bedroom. Well, that’s creative! Another detail that alludes to the sensual nature of the film is how the title of the movie is displayed as intertwined strands of Cathy and Heathcliff’s hair.
Lust abounds in every scene from beginning to end, from bodice-ripping moments to the sound effects while the opening credits roll to simply kneading bread.
Set designs and costume designs are so rich and beautiful.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Missing Story: By cutting the second half of the book, the film misses the true story of “revenge, retribution, and regret” involving the next generation. The biggest complaint from viewers is that the film veers far from the source material. In the book, the story continues after Cathy’s death to follow her daughter (young Cathy) and Heathcliff’s son (Linton). In the 2026 movie. Characters like Hareton, young Catherine, and Linton Heathcliff do not exist in the film at all. To streamline the narrative into a more linear romance/thriller, several key characters were removed or changed. Cathy’s abusive brother is absent. Instead, his traits (alcoholism and gambling) are transferred to Mr. Earnshaw (Cathy’s father), who is depicted as a more volatile, “merged” figure of both father and brother. Mr. Lockwood is also gone. The novel’s framing narrator is removed, meaning the story is told directly rather than through his filtered perspective.
Modern Sensibilities: The “postmodern irony” and anachronistic choices (like the electronic-tinged soundtrack) may feel jarring to fans of the original text. In the book, Nelly is an “unreliable narrator” whose bias is often debated by scholars. The movie makes her a straight-up antagonist:
Pacing: The third act feels “scattershot” and “erratic,” with significant gaps in time that make character shifts feel unearned.
Focus on Shock: At times, the film seems more interested in psychosexual shocks than actual character development. While the original novel is a Gothic tale of psychological torment and “pining,” the film is significantly more explicit. The relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff is depicted as an active, “steamy” affair during her marriage to Edgar, whereas in the book, it remains more of an obsessive, spiritual connection.
Changes: In a new plot point for the film, it is revealed that Cathy had a brother named Heathcliff who died before the movie begins. When her father brings home the orphan boy, Cathy names him after her dead brother, creating a different psychological layer to their bond than in the original text.
- FUNNY LINES:

Most of the humor comes from Isabella Linton’s “simpering” fixation on her dolls and ribbons.
Heathcliff’s gruff, “heavy” accent was unintentionally amusing to some critics.
Martin Clunes’ character provides a few “twinkly-eyed” moments of levity amidst the gloom.

INTERESTING LINES:

“It is unutterable. I cannot live without my life. I cannot live without my soul. You said I killed you. Haunt me, then! Be with me always. Take any form. Drive me mad. Only please do not leave me in this abyss where I cannot find you.” – Heathcliff
“Kiss me again and let us both be damned.” – Heathcliff
“I’ll love you til the day I die and forever after.” – Heathcliff

MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE:

Promising Young Woman (2020) – Fennell’s directorial debut. https://moviereviewmom.com/promising-young-woman-movie-review/
Wuthering Heights (1939 or 2011) – For those who want a more traditional adaptation of the book. https://amzn.to/4ctSw3C