This week sees the release of Emerald Fennell’s new adaptation of “Wuthering Heights”, and reviews are proving just as divisive as over her last directorial effort “Saltburn”.
With 59 reviews counted, this new take on Emily Bronte’s famed 1847 novel sits at a 73% on Rotten Tomatoes and 60/100 on Metacritic – scores on par with the 72% RT & 61 MC of “Saltburn” but behind the 90% RT & 72 MC of “Promising Young Woman”.
Aussie actors Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi play the roles of Catherine and Heathcliff, respectively, in this version which Fennell herself admits is done more as an adaptation of her recollection of reading the book as opposed to a loyal adaptation of the work itself.
Here’s a sampling of reviews for the film, which are all over the shop – some calling it wildly entertaining, others boring and no real consensus either way:
“Although ‘Wuthering Heights’ remains a deliciously horny film, it does summon a certain degree of pure romance, especially in the few moments when its leads are able to see past their misunderstandings and actually connect.” – Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
“Fennell’s overhaul flirts with insanity, and if you can let go of preconceived notions about how this story should be told, it’s arguably the writer-director’s most purely entertaining film.” – David Rooney, THR
“Very effective in its flamboyant flourishes but dialled up so high it can feel excessively brooding and melodramatic, the film makes no apologies for depicting desire as an addictive drug, inviting the audience to succumb to the story’s narcotic pull. ” – Tim Grierson, Screen
“Literary purists may object, but Fennell seizes on something passionate in the material that was always there but never made explicit, amplifying what has gone largely unrequited all these years.” – Peter DeBruge, Variety
“Overlong and undersexed, Fennell’s version of Wuthering Heights betrays her audience of edgelords and perverts. Even stranger, those who have fostered a distaste for the filmmaker’s sensibility will similarly find themselves disappointed.” – Natalie Keogan, AV Club
“As with all of Fennell’s films, boredom is never on offer. And yet, that doesn’t entirely dissipate the feeling that something is still missing here.” – Kate Erbland, Indiewire
“There is nothing that resonates below the surface here; this is a half-remembered story dressed in a beautiful gown that seems destined for TikTok fan edits and Pinterest mood boards rather than soul-stirring emotional catharsis.” – Hannah Strong, Little White Lies
“There’s plenty of technique but very little artistry in Fennell’s storytelling; in her efforts to deliver serious cinema, she may be turning into one of this generation’s leading purveyors of camp” – Alonso Duralde, The Film Verdict
“A fleetingly recognizable tale of love, desire, obsession, regret, bitterness, and ire that, at every turn, plays as florid, horny, juvenile fanfiction.” – Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
Owen Cooper, Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes and Ewan Mitchell also star in “Wuthering Heights” which clocks in at 136 minutes, is rated R and opens in cinemas on Friday.
