Made endlessly stylish by its Oscar-winning crew, Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi lend their pretty faces to Emerald Fennell’s indulgent reimagining of the 1700s psychodrama. ★★★★☆

Emerald Fennell’s last film, Saltburn, is a vividly opulent, old-money, ivy league thriller. Shot almost entirely at golden hour, the film is one of the few where the story and acting are practically set dressing for the rest of the crew’s artistic flair. Wuthering Heights tells a similar tale of obsession and twisted sexuality, but adds another handful of ultra-talented crew to add even more glamour and splendor to the visuals (not to mention Charli XCX’s contributions to the soundtrack). The result is a film where, despite the mind games and melodrama of the Oscar-nominated cast, you can’t help but get a little distracted– and a little starstruck– by some of the scenery.

That’s not to say that the story isn’t engaging– it’s got plenty of twists, betrayals, heel turns, and general romantic chaos– but Jacob Elordi & Margot Robbie never truly hit that feeling of comfort, of compassion, or even of obsession. More often than not, it feels performative, like they’re doing it for the camera.

For example, there’s a moment where Elordi’s Heathcliff breaks from a heated make-out sesh to lick the wall. We’ve been told the wall is designed to look like Catherine’s (Robbie) skin, but is that justification enough to lick the wall instead of his lover? It’s a shot for the camera. Ironically, this is only a minor complaint, since that’s half the fun of the film: that they really only want to make a pretty film. 

If you set aside the main duo’s dubious chemistry (which works better when they’re separated), the supporting cast hold up the story quite well. Martin Clunes, playing a bipolar Mr Earnshaw, is the highlight. He flicks between generous and cruel on a whim, but is so puckish that he’s more entertaining than disturbing. He seems to be one of the few actors having fun in the film, and among the gloomy English countryside (which looks gorgeous, and was shot in the Yorkshire Dales National Park of Northern England).

The other highlights being Ewan Mitchell, who plays a sweet but low-born farmhand– which is a nice turn from the actor’s usual antisocial characters– and the child actors for Heathcliff and Catherine (the characters’ petulant and capricious attitudes are also more believable when they’re kids).

The writing is no doubt to be the most contentious part of the film, and it is only an adaptation in broad strokes. Multiple characters and half the book have been cut, and existing ones are muddled around a little too (Mr Earnshaw absorbs the cruel side of Catherine’s brother from the book, for example). This is not for the worst, it’s simpler, more elemental, and saves on another two hours of story at least, but no one will call it a faithful adaptation. More like a fond recollection of the highlights– and the dialog’s not half bad either.

The real stars are the cinematography, costuming, and production design. Academy Award Winner Linus Sandgren (La La Land) shot Saltburn and has dialed up his richly coloured aesthetic with the help of double Oscar-winner Jacqueline Durran’s glitzy, exuberant, over-the-top outfits (there are more than a few direct references to her costuming of Barbie). Eye candy and excess is what the visuals are, and like Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, there are endless anachronistic choices for a period drama, but for a fantasy or a fairytale? It’s perfect; The Wuthering Heights manor is tiled in shiny black ceramic, Catherine’s wedding night has her dressed in an opalescent, transparent plastic like a flower bouquet, and in winter their mansion is girt by fully-decorated christmas trees. 

The visuals are so rich, so creatively unrestricted, that it’s often hard to focus on the characters when you could be exploring the details of their lush world. The only exception being that the men’s outfits tend to be far plainer and more conventional– save for a few great moments with Mr Earnshaw. You could say that it’s playing on the theme of the women being objectified, but it’s more likely that Fennell & Co. were simply too enthralled by having a blank check to dress up Margot Robbie like a Barbie (or was she the one behind it? She did finance the film). 

So, despite being propped up by a strong cast, Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is worth watching more for the cinematic eye-candy. It’s not “eye protein” as Guillermo Del Toro says, it doesn’t enrich the story or emotional payoffs, but it is a pleasure to behold. The pretty faces, magnificent landscapes, and indulgent costuming make for a rewarding cinema experience beyond the dramatic chaos of the story (in this way, it’s not unlike the recently Oscar-nominated, Marty Supreme).

★★★★☆

Wuthering Heights (2026) Cast, Crew & Release

Film release: February 13, 2026 (Valentine’s weekend)
Runtime: 136 min
Story: A bold, stylized adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic romantic tragedy about love, obsession, betrayal, and the destructive pull between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff.

Director & Screenwriter: Emerald Fennell
Producers: Emerald Fennell, Margot Robbie, Josey McNamara
Executive Producers: Sara Desmond, Tom Ackerley
Cinematography: Linus Sandgren
Editor: Victoria Boydell
Music: Score by Anthony Willis; songs by Charli XCX
Costume Design: Jacqueline Durran
Studio/Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures, MRC, LuckyChap Entertainment
Adapted From: Wuthering Heights (1847 novel) by Emily Brontë

Primary Cast

Margot Robbie: Catherine “Cathy” Earnshaw
Jacob Elordi: Heathcliff
Hong Chau: Nelly Dean
Shazad Latif: Edgar Linton
Alison Oliver: Isabella Linton
Martin Clunes: Mr. Earnshaw
Ewan Mitchell: Joseph
Charlotte Mellington: Young Catherine
Owen Cooper: Young Heathcliff