Based on the 1847 book by Emily Brontë, this version follows the Earnshaws, more specifically, Catherine Earnshaw (Margot Robbie), and her relationship with Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) who's a “peasant” her father (Martin Clunes) brings home in her childhood. Catherine, most likely a product of her father's influence at this time, is completely enamored with Heathcliff and calls him her “pet.” It’s a sentiment that runs throughout the movie, alongside the pent-up lust and rage that is shown throughout the rest.

It’s hard not to notice the dramatic changes Fennell made to the original text – no Hindley or Hareto, a dulled-down ward instead of Edgar Linton’s (Shazad Latif) sister and the overabundance of sexual content, just to name a few. 

It wasn’t Fennell’s intent to make an accurate version of Brontë’s book, though, and backlash has emerged online about Elordi's casting and how it relates to Heathcliff's race in the book. 

In the book, Heathcliff’s race is ambiguous. We aren’t directly told his race, but it is implied in a few quotes about his physical appearance and ability to speak. This is where the backlash comes about, as casting a white actor to play a character obviously not described as such is limiting roles for people of color. 

Fennell took creative liberty in concocting her version of the book, we can’t blame her. She said in interviews that this movie was meant to reflect how she felt while reading it at age 14, and that Elordi was the exact type of person she imagined as Heathcliff. Though, we can definitely turn up the heat when it comes to talking about casting and its damaging role in the acting industry. 

With writing that felt too modern for a period piece, Elordi seemingly slipping out of an accent and too much sexual content to handle, this movie was strange and fell flat. The only theme seeming to emerge is that “being ravenous is good.” Spoiler alert, all it causes is an affair, childish anger and death. 

A few of the only good aspects of the film were the ambiance, the costumes, and surprisingly, Charli XCX’s soundtrack. 

The view of the Wuthering Heights estate was gorgeous, and the rolling hills beside it were a staple, making viewers feel immersed in the stark, Gothic-era scenery. In one powerful scene, as Catherine lies dying, physicians attempt to treat her with leeches – a common medical practice in the 1800s. The leeches are shown crawling up the wall (ironically, supposedly the color of Catherine’s skin), forming a shape that resembles angel wings. This haunting image suggests that Catherine’s fate is already sealed, symbolizing her death as the result of her physical decline and the emotional toll of Heathcliff’s silence. 

The costumes were also on point, with standouts being the ones Catherine wore, specifically the red gowns that were beautiful and her bulky jewelry that some would die to wear. 

Charli XCX’s ambient music and flowing melodies highlighted the scenes they were set in, and made each interaction feel genuine – something that was hard for the two leading actors. It was a pleasurable surprise to hear when viewing. 

Although these standouts are present, it was hard to ignore the overt sexuality throughout. We get it. This is supposed to be “primal,” “sexual,” “cynical,” even. Do we really need to see Elordi’s tongue licking what’s supposed to be a wall of Catherine’s skin? 

Robbie was all right, but didn't really have the appeal of Catherine, and Eordi's performance was reminiscent of his Euphoria days playing the toxic teenage boyfriend, Nate Jacobs. All in all, ok, but missing the passionate mark of the book. 

Wuthering Heights is supposed to be about love, possession, revenge and reconciliation, not how long Catherine and Heathcliff can keep their affair a secret. This is more like a Wattpad fanfiction someone wrote after reading the book in their high school English class.

In Fennell’s version, love is not implied in glances across an estate – it’s downright diabolical and exaggerated. In trying so desperately to be ravenous, the film forgets to be haunting – and devours the story without leaving anything nourishing behind.