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Fennell's bold adaptation divides critics
Emerald Fennell's reinterpretation of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, starring Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie, has ignited sharp disagreement among film critics just days before its Valentine's weekend debut.
The story behind the controversy
Brontë's 19th-century gothic novel, a tale of destructive passion and vengeance between the rebellious Cathy and the tormented Heathcliff, has been reimagined by Fennell with a provocative, BDSM-infused twist. The film's marketing-using quotation marks around its title-signals Fennell's unapologetically personal vision, further amplified by a soundtrack composed by pop artist Charli XCX.
Praise and condemnation
The Telegraph's Robbie Collin awarded the film a perfect five stars, calling it "resplendently lurid, oozy and wild." He dismissed concerns about style overshadowing substance, arguing that Fennell "understands that style can be substance when executed with precision."
"Cathy and Heathcliff's passions vibrate through their dress, their surroundings, and everything else within reach, and you leave the cinema quivering on their own private frequency."
Robbie Collin, The Telegraph
In stark contrast, The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw branded the adaptation a "two-star misfire," criticizing it as an "emotionally hollow, bodice-ripping" spectacle. He described Fennell's approach as "a 20-page fashion shoot of relentless silliness," complete with shredded corsets and overt BDSM undertones.
Mixed reactions across the board
The Independent's Clarisse Loughrey delivered one of the harshest critiques, awarding just one star and comparing the film to "a limp Mills & Boon novel." She argued that Robbie and Elordi's performances veered into pantomime territory, while Fennell's provocations risked caricature, portraying the poor as "sexual deviants" and the wealthy as "clueless prudes."
Other critics landed in the middle. The Financial Times' Danny Leigh gave it three stars, likening the film's escalating tension to "an arthouse Carry On, with lingering shots of gloopy egg whites." The Irish Times' Donald Clarke echoed the comparison, noting that the adaptation "sticks surprisingly close to Brontë's original narrative" despite its campy flourishes.
Chemistry and craft under scrutiny
Several reviewers praised the on-screen dynamic between Elordi and Robbie. The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney called their chemistry "sizzling," highlighting Robbie's performance as a "tightrope walk between infuriating recklessness and devastating regret." The Standard's Vicky Jessop, who awarded four stars, celebrated the film as "unashamedly high-camp," with Fennell delivering "full-throated, filthy maximalism."
Yet detractors were vocal. The Times' Kevin Maher dismissed the film with two stars, mocking Robbie as a "Brontë Barbie" and criticizing Elordi's portrayal of Heathcliff as "pouty man-candy with a shaky Yorkshire accent." The Daily Mail's Brian Viner shared the sentiment, while Collider's Therese Lacson quipped that Brontë "is absolutely rolling in her grave."
A polarizing yet undeniable spectacle
Despite the divide, even critics who panned the film acknowledged its technical craftsmanship. Empire's Beth Webb, who gave it three stars, called it "undeniably expertly crafted," praising its sensory intensity and Elordi's star power, though she lamented that its "electrically erotic energy" waned by the finale.
The Atlantic's David Sim offered a more enthusiastic take, declaring it Fennell's "best film to date-a heaving, rip-snortingly carnal good time at the cinema."
What's next
Wuthering Heights opens in UK cinemas on 13 February, with its global rollout expected to fuel further debate over Fennell's audacious reinvention of a literary classic.
