Emerald Fennell‘s Wuthering Heights (released in theaters on February 13, 2026) strips away the dusty “period piece” veneer to reveal the jagged, bleeding heart of one of literature’s most toxic romances. Fennell, the provocateur behind Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, turns her unflinching lens toward the Yorkshire moors in this bracing adaptation of Emily Brontë’s masterpiece.
The story remains centered on the feral, transcendent connection between Catherine Earnshaw (Margot Robbie) and the foundling Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi).
Raised together at the isolated Earnshaw estate, their bond is forged in the dirt and wind of the moors, transcending the rigid social structures of the late 18th century.
However, when Catherine’s brother Hindley (Ewan Mitchell) descends into cruelty and Catherine chooses the refined, wealthy Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif) for social elevation, the stage is set for a generational catastrophe.
Fennell’s narrative structure leanings are evident as she explores the fallout of this betrayal. Heathcliff disappears, only to return years later as a wealthy, calculated engine of destruction.
The supporting cast adds rich texture to the gloom: Hong Chau provides a grounding, perhaps unreliable perspective as the housekeeper Nelly Dean, while Alison Oliver portrays the fragile Isabella Linton, who becomes a pawn in Heathcliff’s games.
Even characters like the local doctor (Martin Clunes) are imbued with the specific, slightly surreal malaise that defines Fennell’s aesthetic.
Wuthering Heights had its world premiere at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Jan. 28, 2026.
Wuthering Heights (Photo/Warner Bros.)
Reception for Wuthering Heights
The reception for this iteration of Wuthering Heights has been predictably explosive, judging by the $114.1 million the film grossed worldwide in its first nine days of release.
Critics have lauded the electric chemistry between Robbie and Elordi, noting that Robbie brings a ferocious, modern edge to Catherine’s “monstrous” selfishness, while Elordi’s Heathcliff is a masterclass in brooding, predatory charisma.
While some traditionalists have balked at Fennell’s stylistic flourishes—including a vibrant, almost neon-hued approach to the Yorkshire landscape and a soundtrack that leans into anachronistic tension—most agree that the film captures the spirit of Brontë’s writing better than more “polite” versions.
Wuthering Heights (2026) has been described as “a Gothic fever dream” and “the most dangerously sexy Brontë adaptation in decades.”
By focusing on the cruelty and obsession rather than just the romance, Fennell has cemented this version as a definitive, albeit divisive, entry in the Brontë cinematic canon.
