In a recent interview with Fandango, director Emerald Fennell was asked about the quotation marks on the title of her latest movie, “Wuthering Heights”. She answered, “There’s a version that I remembered reading that isn’t quite real. And there’s a version where I wanted stuff to happen that never happened. And so it is Wuthering Heights, and it isn’t.” If you are going to this movie expecting a direct adaptation, you will be disappointed. Fennell’s version is a truncated version of the book that takes some swings with the story.

“Wuthering Heights” tells the story of two kids from different stations in their lives who are united in an act of goodwill. The young Heathcliff, Owen Cooper, is “rescued” by Mr. Earnshaw, Martin Clunes, from his abusive father. In his home, Heathcliff meets Cathy, Charlotte Mellington, who wants to take care of him like a pet. As the years pass, the two become inseparable, and Heathcliff becomes her protector from her father’s abuse.

The Dissolution of Friendship

The two act like brother and sister, and you would think that this is how their relationship will stay. Since the two do not know much about the world around them, it makes sense for romantic feelings to develop between them. Once they are older, Cathy and Heathcliff part ways. Cathy, Margot Robbie, ends up marrying Edgar Linton, Shazad Latif, who moves near her estate with his sister, Isabella, the scene-stealing Alison Oliver.

In the moments when Cathy is living with the Lintons, Fennell excels at displaying the luxurious life Cathy dreamed of. The costume and set designs are phenomenal. Charlotte Dirickx’s sets are magnificent, and some of the moments look like paintings. The movie’s beauty does not hide the evil of the two main characters. The adult Cathy and Heathcliff have lost the innocence of their youth. As adults, they put their own feelings above those who love them.

In the book Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is not a likable character. We see hints of this in the movie, but Fennell never shows the magnitude of his evil ways. What we see in the movie is a man doing all he can to make a married woman leave her husband. In return, Cathy’s feelings for Heathcliff make her ignore her husband, and jealousy drives her mad. The cruelty that these two characters show to those around them makes them unlikable and makes you rethink your feelings towards them. 

Final Thoughts: “Wuthering Heights” is visually sensual and stunning to watch. The cast is fantastic, with Alison Oliver stealing the movie as Isabella. While this version does take some liberties, it is not a straight adaptation of the book. This is an interesting love story that might leave audiences with a bad taste in their mouths. 

Violence: There are some abusive moments in the film between Heathcliff and Mr. Earnshaw.

Kid-Friendly:The themes of love and loss might be better represented in other movies for kids. This movie is not for kids.

A bold and original interpretation of one of the greatest love stories of all time, Emerald Fennell’s “WUTHERING HEIGHTS” stars Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, whose forbidden passion for one another turns from romantic to intoxicating in an epic tale of lust, love and madness.