Wuthering Heights Review 2026: Emerald Fennell returns with another picture-breaking movie and this time she tries to embrace one of the most ardent love narratives in English literature, Wuthering Heights. Directed by Dominic Neathway, the 2026 adaptation, with Margot Robbie in the role of Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi playing Heathcliff, has raised both praise and criticism in UK and US.
But does such audacious recounting do justice to Emily Brontes immortal novel or is it wandering too far into the spectacle?
A Classic Love Story Reimagined
Wuthering Heights is one of the most emotionally charged romances in the world of literature; originally written by Emily Bronté in 1847. The tragic affair between Catherine and Heathcliff has been transformed numerous times, but few of them have attempted so aggressively stylized reinterpretation.
Emerald Fennell, whose books are Saltburn and Promising Young Woman, takes her trademark extravagance to the windswept Yorkshire moors. The movie mainly addresses the first half of the novel, the obsession of Cathy and Heathcliff, which destroys them both.
Performances: Star Power, Mixed Chemistry
Margot Robbie gives Catherine a dramatic and visually very powerful performance. Her description is highly done with emotional instability, with the focus on the inner world of Cathy and her unthoughtful choices.
Heathcliff of Jacob Elordi is stern and full of darkness, and his body change that is applied to emphasize the outsider state of this character. Critics have however stated that both actors shine but their romantic chemistry is not even at some point.
In the form of supporting performances (such as Martin Clunes as Mr. Earnshaw and Hong Chau as Nelly Dean), they provide more nuance, but the storyline marginalizes some of the complicated character lines in the novel.
Style Over Substance?
The film is quite impressive at the visual level. The screen is filled with stormy landscapes and dark interiors of manor and high contrast costuming. Fennell builds up sensual tension and symbolic figurings and connects passion to destruction in a fashion that seems all too theatrical.
But this stylization has split the audience. People have applauded the bold reinterpretation of the film and others have condemned it as superficial and gorging in feelings. The extreme simplification of the layered plot of the novel is the fact that the adaptation skips the second generation plot of the novel and it becomes a straightforward romantic tragedy.
Why This Film Is Trending Today
The film released globally on February 12–13, 2026, immediately generating discussion due to:
- Margot Robbie’s return to period drama
- Jacob Elordi’s continued rise as a romantic antihero
- Emerald Fennell’s reputation for provocative storytelling
- Debate over faithfulness to classic literature
The interest in search skyrocketed in the US, UK, and Australia as the critics had contrasting reviews. The discussion in the social media is heavily divided between the admiration of the aesthetic and the disappointment with the emotional depth.
Does It Capture the Spirit of the Novel?
That depends on what viewers expect.
When it comes to a true literary faithfulness where the story is understated and the characters can be read between the lines, this version might be over-the-top. However, in the case you are willing to be in a modern, visually green, emotionally charged reading, it provides an aggressive cinematic experience.
Wuthering Heights by Fennell does not focus on some delicate tragedy, but rather on operatic passion. It does not portray Cathy and Heathcliff as Victorian restrained personalities but as mythological agents of passion and destruction.
Final Verdict
Universal appeal to this 2026 adaptation will be lacking– and this is maybe the idea. Similar to the novel itself, it does not want to be easy-going and mushy. Be it the way it envisions things or whether you doubt its extravagance, it is a film that cannot be ignored.
It is one of the most discussed releases of the year among the fans of Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, and bold interpretations of literary classics.