The Sexiest Goos of Wuthering Heights

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Having a crush can make you see your beloved everywhere, and that’s a key element in the new film adaptation of Wuthering Heights. Director Emerald Fennell uses a lot of imagery – specifically, various types of goo, slime, and muck found on the Yorkshire moors – to represent Cathy’s intense desire for Heathcliff. The film isn’t subtle; it’s full of these substances to emphasize the story’s passionate and sensual nature. While there’s plenty of ‘gloop’ throughout, some moments are more effective than others in showing how much Cathy is affected by Heathcliff. Here’s a ranking of those slimy moments, based on how strongly they seem to fuel her attraction.

The scene involving pig’s blood is striking and unsettling. While a pig is being slaughtered at Wuthering Heights, Cathy, in the midst of a fit of anger, walks through the courtyard and gets splashed with blood, staining her white skirts. She briefly touches Heathcliff while trying to avoid it. However, this violent image doesn’t come across as particularly sensual or suggestive.

The film features leeches crawling on Cathy’s face, and the director seems intent on suggesting a sexual connection between them and her decaying body, despite Cathy being unconscious. These leeches, kept in a bowl near her bed, add to the film’s unsettling, wet imagery. While disturbing, they’re presented as almost alluring, though barely more so than blood itself.

A memorable visual in Wuthering Heights is a close-up of snail slime trailing down a window. The shot is initially mysterious, leaving the viewer to wonder what they’re seeing. It’s then revealed to be yet another instance of a wet substance that Cathy observes while contemplating a kiss from Heathcliff. While the snail slime doesn’t explicitly arouse her, it’s a surprisingly creative image.

Rain is a recurring and significant element in Wuthering Heights. Given the novel’s setting in Northern England, where sunshine is scarce, the constant dampness is almost a character itself. While the rain doesn’t directly cause Cathy’s feelings, many of her most passionate moments with Heathcliff happen during or immediately after a downpour.

The film features numerous instances of Heathcliff intensely licking Cathy’s face. While this could be seen as sensual, it doesn’t feel particularly shocking, especially considering other scenes…

Whole-fish aspic was a popular dish in 18th-century England, and it appears in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights as a symbol of Cathy’s growing dissatisfaction with her marriage. When Cathy feels bored and trapped, she imagines reaching into a mold of clear jelly containing a whole fish, playfully poking its mouth with her finger – a gesture reminiscent of the way Heathcliff used to touch her.

The scene with Cathy’s private moment is particularly shocking. Overcome with desire for Heathcliff, she goes to the moors to masturbate. Her fiancé follows her and accidentally interrupts her, stumbling as he approaches. Instead of wiping herself off, Cathy offers her hand to Heathcliff, who then puts her fingers in his mouth. While not graphically shown, this act is the most direct and explicit depiction of sexual intimacy in an otherwise subtly suggestive film.

One recurring, unusual detail in Wuthering Heights is Cathy and Heathcliff’s habit of putting eggs in each other’s beds as a prank. It’s not about sexual arousal, but rather a way the director emphasizes the messy, physical connection between them. Later in the story, when Cathy sits on an egg and it breaks, it’s a clear signal – both to her and the audience – that Heathcliff has come back after being gone for years. This gooey mess symbolizes that they are inextricably linked, and can’t escape each other, no matter how much they try.

The morning after Cathy and Heathcliff witness a private moment between Joseph and Zillah, Cathy becomes visibly disturbed while watching dough being kneaded at breakfast. This dough – possibly focaccia, though unusual for England – was prominently featured in the trailer for Wuthering Heights. Even after the trailer ended, the image of the dough – sticky, soft, and repeatedly worked – stuck with viewers as a powerful representation of Cathy’s desire.

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2026-02-16 20:54