It’s not unusual for filmmakers to reimagine classic books, but the recent remake of Wuthering Heights starring two popular actors understandably raised some doubts.
In her review, the author praised Emerald Fennell’s take on Wuthering Heights, calling it a striking adaptation. She suggested the film would have been even stronger if it had fully embraced Fennell’s personal vision and been titled Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights instead of using quotation marks to hint at it. Ultimately, she found it a unique and welcome change of pace from typical big-budget movies, especially for those willing to approach it as its own interpretation rather than a strict adaptation of the book.
Okay, let me tell you about this new take on Wuthering Heights. It’s less a proper adaptation and more like the director, Emerald Fennell, sharing her initial, gut reaction to Emily Brontë’s novel. As Screen Rant‘s Gregory Nussen put it, it feels like she remembered the SparkNotes version from high school and just ran with that! While filmmakers don’t have to stick rigidly to the source material, it’s a little jarring when you name your film after a classic and then seem to dismiss its most important parts. And honestly, the casting choices were a major misstep, especially giving the lead role to a white actor in a story so deeply rooted in racial violence. Despite some visually stunning moments, the film ultimately feels hollow, superficial, and surprisingly…boring. It’s all style and no substance, unfortunately.
Therese Lacson from Collider echoes a point made by Screen Rant, questioning whether Emerald Fennell truly engaged with the source material. Lacson notes Fennell has openly stated her adaptation of Wuthering Heights is based on her teenage feelings about the book, but given the significant cuts – nearly all characters and half the plot were removed – Lacson wonders if Fennell actually read the novel. She argues the film bears little resemblance to Brontë’s story if stripped of its title and character names. Meanwhile, Mashable succinctly describes the movie as “perplexing” in their review headline.
Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights Is Primed For Controversy
The announcement that Fennell would adapt Wuthering Heights for film was concerning, particularly the film’s use of quotation marks around the title – a clear sign of what was to come. Combining that with a soundtrack by Charlie XCX suggested an adaptation that wasn’t taking the novel seriously. As Inverse put it, the film “drops the ball when the text calls for something deeper” and felt more suited to a music video than a faithful adaptation for modern audiences.
In a review for Little White Lies, Hannah Strong perfectly captures the essence of Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights. Strong suggests the film feels more like a visually appealing surface-level retelling—something geared towards quick online sharing on platforms like TikTok and Pinterest—than a deeply moving or emotionally resonant experience.
Wuthering Heights opens in theaters on Feb. 13.
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2026-02-09 23:38