“Wuthering Heights” features Emerald Fennell’s signature dangerous and intoxicating storytelling as she puts her own touch on Emily Brontë’s classic novel, featuring stunning cinematography from Linus Sandgren and an evocative musical score from Anthony Willis, but it is the incredible romantic chemistry of Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi that make for the most seductive and devastating date night movie this year.

 

For anyone familiar with Emerald Fennell’s previous two films, Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, which were two of the most shocking and provocative films in their respective years of release, it was evident at the announcement of her adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel that this was not going to be your mother’s version of Wuthering Heights, hence styling the title with the quotation marks. And if anything, that is exactly what Fennell achieves with her big screen rendition of the timeless story as she takes the broad strokes and themes of Brontë’s tale, running with a more condensed narrative focused like many of the previous adaptations have, and brings a lust and psychological darkness to the tragic romance of Cathy and Heathcliff. With the fiery, passionate and destructive chemistry of Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Cathy and Heathcliff that lights up every frame of the film, “Wuthering Heights” becomes an intoxicating, shocking and tragic romance that features all the hallmarks of Fennell’s storytelling proclivities, giving a modern approach to Brontë’s classic novel for a new generation of movie goers.

 

Any review of Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” criticizing it for taking liberties in the way it condenses Brontë’s original text are inherently flawed, as many of the film adaptations have eliminated the novel’s second generation of characters to focus solely on Cathy and Heathcliff, so you cannot fault Fennell for taking this same approach with her film. However, the divisiveness that this film will no doubt generate lies in the approach and tone that Fennell takes to the romance between Cathy and Heathcliff. Upping the psychological warfare and amplifying the steamy sexual tension between Cathy and Heathcliff, Fennell’s approach to the story is far hornier than any previous adaptation that is equally as seductively romantic as it is twistedly grim. While it is evident that Cathy and Heathcliff are selfish individuals with little disregard for the wake of heartbreak that their actions cause, creating two of the meanest leads of a romance in recent memory, there is an undeniable romantic whirlwind that Fennell develops in her screenplay which creates a haunting romance for viewers to be swept up by, that will no doubt generate many gasps and tears throughout its runtime. 

 

Where Fennell’s adaptation falters is in the development of the supporting characters. With so much focus on Cathy and Heathcliff, the supporting characters that her script does use from the novel are too often cast aside for long periods of time. While the presence of Edgar and Isabella Linton are always felt in the film, they are forgotten for large portions of the film, drawn back in as necessary as pawns in Cathy and Heathcliff’s games. Isabella, while having a distinct path over the film, the shocking developments in her story are merely displayed without any exploration of it on a character development level, while Edgar is merely present to be the “other man” in this complicated romantic entanglement. But none more so are at a disadvantage than Hong Chau’s Nelly Dean, who is the pivotal character of the story without a journey to go on. Her motivations for her consequential actions are merely hinted at, but never truly explored, leaving Nelly to feel more like a narrative catalyst than a fully realized character, despite Chau’s excellent performance and creating the emotional undercurrents of the character.

 

In comparison to her previous two films, there is no question that Fennell has outdone herself from a technical filmmaking point of view and delivered her best film to date. Linus Sandgren’s cinematography is absolutely striking, delivering incredible shots throughout the film in different circumstances, from backlighting in red that captures both the passion between Cathy and Heathcliff and the destruction caused by their romance, the mysterious use of shadows that captures the moral depravity of the characters, to that hauntingly gorgeous shot of Heathcliff emerging from the fog as he returns into Cathy’s life that audience’s won’t ever forget. Jacqueline Durran’s costuming is exquisite, delivering lavish costumes worthy of a period piece with so many stunning designs that are both historically accurate for the times and modern, which is complemented by Suzie Davies’s excellent production design which captures the class structuring and stark differences in wealth between the Earnshaw and Linton families. When all combined, there is not a frame of the film that does not match the intoxicating nature of Fennell’s approach to the source material, creating a visually immersive experience that enhances the tragic romance of Cathy and Heathcliff.

 

Complementing the film’s visual aspects is the first rate music in both its score and soundtrack. Anthony Willis’s musical score soars, capturing the passion, heart break and devastation caused by Cathy and Heathcliff’s romance with grand orchestrations that are worthy of Brontë’s classic story. Equally romantic as it is haunting, Willis’s musical score breathes life into every scene it is featured in, dialing up the audience’s emotional response to Cathy and Heathcliff’s tale of love and despair. Though, the surprising part of the film’s music is how perfectly Charli xcx’s songs are not only woven into the film’s narrative, never for a second overtaking the emotion of the scene they are used in, but how they deepen the emotion of the story. Her songs perfectly reflect the inner state of Cathy in every scene they are used, enriching the cinematic experience viewers and deepening the passion and lust of the film. 

Without question, what makes Fennell’s vision for “Wuthering Heights” come to life are the performances of Robbie and Elordi and their electrifying chemistry. Robbie is quietly heartbreaking as Cathy, bringing to life this woman who finds herself confined by her gender and class as she fights for and against the man of her dreams that marks one of Robbie’s most eloquent performances to date. Elordi continues to amaze with his range as Heathcliff, a young man with no status trying to make his mark on the world with his mysterious new found wealth, while always being drawn back to his childhood love. Equally tender as he is terrifying, Elordi commands both Cathy and the audiences’ attention every second he is on screen, confirming himself as one of the most talented actors of his generation. As a pairing, there is an undeniable fire between Robbie and Elordi, ranging from the undeniable passion and lust during the romantic moments between their characters to the wicked mind games they unleash on each other, that is certain to raise both the audiences’ collective heartbeats and the temperate in cinemas as Cathy and Heathcliff embark on down their doomed path. It’s this chemistry that allows Robbie and Elordi to create the famous yet tragic romance of their characters, with an undeniable and defining sexual passion, that continues the staying power of Brontë’s writing.