In the era of BookTok, many fans find themselves drawn to stories fueled by yearning. Some might want to step into a romantasy, where bat-winged boys sweep their powerful protagonists off their feet, while others prefer a more real-world scenario with some sports thrown in to spice things up. So it comes as no surprise that when said readers discover the hyper romantic content of the past, they find themselves either entrenched or disappointed with the lack of fangirl appeal. Either the material doesn’t have the steamy passages found in more modern romances or there’re too many problematic elements getting in the way of diving deep into the fantasy.
L-R: Actor/producer Margot Robbie, actor Jacob Elordi, and director/writer/producer Emerald Fennell on the set of “WUTHERING HEIGHTS,” a Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. © 2026 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved.
One such example comes in the form of Emily Brontë’s tragic soap-operatic tale, Wuthering Heights. From the highly debated depictions of its lead characters to the evolving question of whether the central romantic pair are terrible people or victims of circumstance, there’s no shortage of topics to debate within this masterpiece. But when you add the controversial filmmaking choices of writer/director Emerald Fennell (Saltburn) into a new film adaptation, along with the casting of Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein)? The fandom disputes get turned up to 11. Now, thanks to Warner Bros., this highly deliberated version has landed on home video. Are the hot takes surrounding it warranted? Or is it a misunderstood gem? The answer is as full of twists and turns as Cathy and Heathcliff’s relationship.
Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” begins in a fashion that throws you right into the chaos. Rather than discovering the beauty of the untamed Yorkshire Moors, Fennell cinematically explains that both violence and sensuality follow Catherine Earnshaw (whose younger incarnation is played by Charlotte Mellington) everywhere she goes. From the man being publicly hung out in the street, to the brutality of her father’s (Martin Clues) lifestyle, her life knows no real sense of peace or joy. That is, until Heathcliff (played as a child by Owen Cooper) walks into her life. Adopted by her father, Heathcliff similarly has never known the simple pleasures of childhood as he lived a life out on the streets. But once he meets Cathy, the two begin to form a bond fueled by deep understanding of their circumstances.
L-R: Alison Oliver as Isabella Linton and Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw in “WUTHERING HEIGHTS,” a Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. © 2026 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved.
But as the years pass, Cathy (later portrayed by Margot Robbie) finds herself looking at Heathcliff (now Jacob Elordi) as some sort of forbidden fruit. She knows that societally their relationship wouldn’t work for a number of reasons, but she can’t ignore her attraction to him after they’ve grown up side-by-side. Yet when their new neighbors, the Lintons, move next door into Thrushcross Grange, Cathy’s focus towards Heathcliff shifts in a new direction. It’s a decision that not only changes Cathy’s destiny, but sends Heathcliff down a path fueled by resentment, bitterness, and obsession.
As soon as Fennell’s version was announced as being in production, fans of the book were immediately skeptical of the creative choices. Not only was the age difference between Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi picked apart (Robbie is 7 years older than her co-star), but the costumes and overall aesthetic of the production didn’t fit what many viewers had in mind. Yet, easily the most controversial aspect came in the casting of Elordi as Heathcliff. Over the decades, Heathcliff has been portrayed as some variation of a Caucasian figure. Yet to many book fans and historians, Heathcliff is often thought to be a person of color (with references to him possibly being Romani, South Asian, or African.) So when yet another white actor was picked for the role, fans (including this writer) were understandably frustrated.
Fortunately, both Robbie and Elordi take the material and anchor it in the best acting direction possible. In terms of Heathcliff, Elordi does a great job (as he did in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein) of wearing his emotions on his sleeve in just the right way. In his earlier scenes, you feel the longing-yet-reserved nature he has towards fully embracing his love for Cathy, but you can naturally accept his eventual evolution towards revenge. Robbie, on the other hand, portrays her Cathy in the boldest of ways, which works particularly well in the sequences when she plays the cat to Elordi’s mouse during their youth. And while it’s up for debate if the two have genuine chemistry throughout the entire movie, there’s no denying that they do work well together (even if it leads to some awkward moments during the more sexually charged sequences.)
As for the rest of the ensemble, each actor each brings something unique to the Wuthering Heights adaptation lore. First and foremost is newcomer Vy Nguyen and Hong Chau (Kinds of Kindness) as Cathy’s best friend, and lady-in-waiting, Nelly. From the beginning, Fennell establishes Nelly as someone fueled by her own obsession towards Cathy. But because Cathy falls in love with Heathcliff, Nelly often gets put in an emotional corner, leading her to become consumed by jealousy. Both Nguyen and Chau do a great job of capturing the Nelly that Fennell has laid down on the page, especially in the way Nelly calculates her every move towards getting her revenge.
The same compliments should be given to both Shazad Latif (Magpie) as Edgar Linton and Alison Oliver (Saltburn) as Isabella Linton. Each of them does a fantastic job of bringing just the right levels of warmth, tragedy, and wackiness to each in this often dull set of characters. Latif is everything you’d want in an Edgar — from his initial heroic nature to his frustrating bitterness towards the finale, you feel a great deal of sympathy for his golden retriever-esque approach to the character. Oliver similarly makes you feel a great deal of relatable compassion towards her take on Isabella, particularly in the sequences where you see how Heathcliff’s behavior imprints on her in some shocking ways. Some might think her performance is too over-the-top, but Oliver nails the borderline-grotesque transformation she has to make by this version’s conclusion.
Then there is Emerald Fennell herself. In her typical fashion, Fennell’s retelling doesn’t shy away from the cruelties within Brontë’s tale, amping up the devastating nature of their lead pair’s childhoods to a degree that no other filmmaker has previously captured. Take for example Mr. Earnshaw, who rather than being a kind figure who becomes bitter as the story proceeds, Fennell seems fixated on making him irrational and a genuine monster from the start. It’s this borderline obsession with the depressing elements of the original text that at times feels almost masochistic. This focus makes Fennell’s take on Brontë’s material feel much more tortuous than what seems to be her ultimate romantic intention.
Yet the irony of Fennell’s fascination with the brutality within Wuthering Heights is her juxtaposing framework of Cathy and Heathcliff’s romance. In several interviews (and in the commentary track on this home release), Fennell speaks of how she first read the book at 14 — a formative experience that becomes increasingly obvious as she depicts the pair’s love story like a steamy YA romance. And while there’s nothing wrong with reinterpreting Brontë’s classic text in your own vision, it may have better served Fennell to craft her own gothic romance, one where she wouldn’t be constrained by Brontë’s work or weighed down by the criticism that comes from adapting one of the greatest books of all time.
But even with all of Fennell’s awkward choices sprinkled through her take on Wuthering, there are some genuinely fantastic artistic elements that make this adaptation worthy of your time. Pop queen Charli XCX’s infectious songs provide the movie with an angsty teenage energy befitting the emotions of the film’s lead couple — especially with its epic opening track “House,” which displays the dread of living in the moors. Similarly, composer Anthony Willis (Saltburn; Promising Young Woman) knows how to create just the right amount of melodramatic vibes whenever the film needs an injection of earnest romance.
L-R: Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw in “WUTHERING HEIGHTS,” a Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. © 2026 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved.
Though the true star of this “Wuthering Heights” are the visuals. From the borderline cartoonish-meets-old-Hollywood delights of Jacqueline Durran’s (Barbie; The Batman) costumes, to the insane micro details of Susie Davies’s (Saltburn; Conclave) set design, and every element in between, there is no doubt that this Wuthering is the definition of lavish. Yet, what brings it together is the steamy cinematography of Linus Sandgren (Saltburn; La La Land). Drawing inspiration from 1939’s Gone with the Wind and other grand romantic epics, Sandgren clearly understands the assignment from top to bottom. He captures the bodice-ripper book cover homage energy Fennell’s take is going for all the while making every frame look worthy of being on the big screen.
Thankfully, Warner Bros.’s home release captures the visual splendor of Fennell’s adaptation in sparkling quality. Not only does the 4K release showcase the cinematography in all its beauty, but the sound, in particular, replicates that of its theatrical release (which works to enhance the Charli XCX’s songs as well as the Dolby Atmos version did.) Similarly brilliant are special features. From the delicious commentary by Fennell herself which dives deep into her mindset while making the film to a multitude of behind-the-scenes featurettes, it’s wonderful to see a home release befitting the efforts that went into the film, something that feels rare for most new movies getting the 4K treatment these days.
L-R: Director/writer/producer Emerald Fennell, Cinematographer Linus Sandgren, actor/producer Margot Robbie, and actor Jacob Elordi on the set of “WUTHERING HEIGHTS,” a Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. © 2026 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved.
Ultimately, regardless of whether you like this very different take on Emily Brontë’s classic or not, it goes without saying that Fennell’s adaptation is cinematic. Sure, it might be missing half of the story while also changing quite a number of the factors that make most readers love the original story, but there’s a degree of craft, detail, and genuine artistry found within every frame of this sumptuous romantic venture. It’s just a shame that this level of passion couldn’t have, instead, been poured into something we haven’t already seen many times over. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to daydream about what this movie would have looked like with Dev Patel (The Green Knight) in it.
“Wuthering Heights” Special Features*:
- Threads of Desire (6:49)
- The Legacy of Love and Madness (5:32)
- Building a Fever Dream (12:07)
- Commentary by Writer/Director/Producer Emerald Fennell
*Special features limited to 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and digital editions.
Available on digital March 31st, 2026.
Available on HBO Max May 1st, 2026.
Available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD May 5th, 2026.
For more information, head to the official Warner Bros. Pictures “Wuthering Heights” website.
Final Score: 3 out of 5.
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Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews, streaming
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