Key Highlights
- Warner Bros releases Wuthering Heights ahead of Valentine’s Day.
- Film divided among critics; some praise chemistry and style over substance.
- Casting and scenes inspired BDSM controversy but were defended by one critic.
- Reviewers mixed on depth, with The Guardian calling it “emotionally hollow,” while The Telegraph praised its “resplendence.”
The Great Divide: Wuthering Heights Reviews Split the Critics
Warner Bros has stirred the pot once again with its reimagining of Emily Brontë’s classic gothic romance, Wuthering Heights. Set to premiere on February 13th, the film is drawing mixed reactions from critics, a stark contrast to the typical consensus in Hollywood.
A Tale of Two Critiques
On one end of the spectrum sits The Guardian’s Peter Brhaw, who found Wuthering Heights an “emotionally hollow, bodice-ripping misfire.” His two-star review criticizes Fennell for cranking up the campery and creating a “20-page fashion shoot of relentless silliness.”
Yet, just steps away from Brhaw’s scathing critique lies Robbie Collin’s five-star praise in The Telegraph. He defends the film as “resplendently lurid, oozy and wild,” suggesting that style can indeed be substance when done right.
The Controversial Cast
Wuthering Heights stars Australian actors Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie as Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw. Their casting has been a source of controversy, with some critics questioning the appropriateness of bringing such a weighty literary work to the screen.
The film’s marketing has not shied away from these controversies; it’s been described as an “over-stylised drama” by The Sun’s Dulcie Pearce. Meanwhile, Charli XCX has composed a soundtrack for the film, adding another layer of controversy and maximalism to the mix.
Style Over Substance?
While the film is being marketed with a twist on the classic tale, critics are divided on whether it manages to balance style and substance. The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey gave the film just one star, calling it “Emerald Fennell’s astonishingly bad adaptation” that feels like “a limp Mills & Boon.”
In contrast, Danny Leigh of the Financial Times offered a more nuanced view, describing the film as an “arthouse Carry On” with its “electrically erotic energy.” He suggests that while it may not fully succeed in its ambition, it is still “arguably the writer-director’s most purely entertaining film.”
The Final Verdict
Wuthering Heights opens on February 13th, and whether it will be a commercial or critical success remains to be seen. For now, it stands as a reminder that in Hollywood, where everything is about the next big thing, sometimes even the classics can become controversial.
You might think this is new, but… the debate over Wuthering Heights has been going on for centuries. Will Fennell’s take finally bring a fresh perspective or just another round of heated discussion? Only time will tell.
