Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is proving to be one of the most talked-about – and debated – films of . The film, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, has sparked intense online discussion even before its release, with criticism leveled at everything from casting choices to costume design. Fennell herself acknowledges the significant departures from the source material, describing her work not as an adaptation, but as a “version” of the classic novel.
The controversy began as early as , when Fennell, known for her provocative satires Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, announced her intention to tackle Brontë’s 19th-century masterpiece. The initial reaction, as reported across social media and entertainment publications, was largely negative. Commentators questioned whether Fennell’s style – characterized by its flashiness and willingness to confront taboo subjects – was a suitable fit for the brooding, gothic atmosphere of Wuthering Heights.
The film’s very title, presented with quotation marks as “Wuthering Heights”, signals Fennell’s intention to offer a distinct interpretation. As she explained in an interview with Fandango in , she isn’t attempting a faithful recreation of the book. “I can’t say I’m making Wuthering Heights. It’s not possible. What I can say is I’m making a version of it,” Fennell stated. “There’s a version that I remembered reading that isn’t quite real. And there’s a version where I wanted stuff to happen that never happened. And so [this film] is Wuthering Heights and it isn’t.”
The changes extend beyond stylistic choices. Reports indicate significant alterations to the plot and characterizations. The film is described as a “saturated visual feast and erotic affair,” featuring elements not present in the original novel, such as “kinky barn sex” and a gold tooth for Heathcliff. These deviations have fueled the backlash, with some critics accusing Fennell of “pointless destruction” of a literary classic. Lara Brown of The Spectator described the film as a “disturbing exercise in pointless destruction” months before its release.
The intensity of the negative response is unusual, even for adaptations that take liberties with their source material. Typically, films that deviate from beloved books generate debate, but the level of “hostility” surrounding Fennell’s Wuthering Heights appears to be particularly fierce. The BBC noted that the film has become “this year’s most divisive film,” prompting a level of online discourse usually reserved for more overtly political or controversial projects.
Fennell has defended her choices, arguing that a direct adaptation of Brontë’s dense and complex novel is simply not feasible. She acknowledges the passionate attachment many readers have to the book, but maintains that her film is a separate entity, inspired by but not bound by the original text. This stance, however, has done little to quell the criticism.
The question now is whether the film can overcome the pre-release negativity and find an audience. The success of Promising Young Woman and Saltburn demonstrates Fennell’s ability to connect with audiences, but those films were original works, free from the weight of literary expectation. Wuthering Heights presents a different challenge altogether. Whether Fennell’s “version” will be embraced as a bold reinterpretation or dismissed as a misguided experiment remains to be seen. The film’s release next week will likely intensify the debate, and potentially reveal whether the controversy has generated curiosity or simply solidified opposition.
The film’s casting, featuring Robbie and Elordi, initially generated excitement, but even that has become a point of contention for some critics. The focus on visual spectacle and eroticism, while potentially appealing to a contemporary audience, has alienated those who value the novel’s psychological depth and emotional complexity. The debate highlights the inherent challenges of adapting classic literature for the screen – balancing fidelity to the source material with the need for creative interpretation.
Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” is a gamble. It’s a film that deliberately courts controversy, challenging viewers to reconsider their expectations of what an adaptation can be. Whether that gamble pays off will depend on whether audiences are willing to accept Fennell’s vision, or whether they will remain loyal to the enduring power of Emily Brontë’s original novel.