By Wenderlis Guevara | Staff Writer
This adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, directed by Emerald Fennell, has sparked intense debate among audiences and literary critics alike.
Based on the 1847 novel, the film revisits the dark and obsessive love story of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, but through a lens that feels distinctly modern and emotionally heightened. While some viewers praise its bold stylistic choices, others argue that it strays too far from the original Gothic tone.
Fennell has openly discussed her personal connection to the novel, stating that it is not just a retelling of Emily Brontë’s novel but rather an expression of how she felt when reading it for the first time when she was a teenager.
As Fennell explained in W Magazine, the novel is “the ultimate book club book” because everyone can “argue about it till the cows come home,” highlighting her aim to provoke interpretation rather than literal reconstruction (McCartney, 2026). This emotional approach is evident throughout the film.
Rather than focusing on the novel, the adaptation emphasizes atmosphere, desire, and psychological turmoil.
The film is full of symbolism surrounding death, longing, and the loss of innocence. Visually, the cinematography leans into muted palettes and stark landscapes, reinforcing the isolation and emotional trainwreck that define the story.
However, critics have mixed feelings about how that creative freedom manifests on screen; some argue that the stylization occasionally overshadows character development. The New Yorker’s Richard Brody argues that the film “reassembles … into a misbegotten thing that wants only to be loved,” suggesting that the adaptation’s focus on surface romanticism may come at the expense of depth (Brody, 2026).
Despite the controversy, this adaptation succeeds in one important way: it refuses to romanticize toxic love. Heathcliff and Catherine’s relationship is portrayed not as an ideal but as destructive and obsessive. Ultimately, Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is not a traditional period drama but an emotional reinterpretation of a literary classic. While it may not satisfy many lecturers, it offers a visually striking and psychologically intense experience that invites viewers to reconsider the novel’s themes through a different and modern perspective.
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