Spoiler warning for Wuthering Heights (1847) and the 2026 film adaptation.
If you’ve read the reviews or watched video essayists go on and on about it, you already know that Wuthering Heights (2026) has very little in common with the book it’s adapting. You’ve probably heard all there is to hear on TikTok, Reels, the news, and so on. So what is the big deal with this movie?!
While I haven’t read the book myself, I am a film enthusiast (not to be mistaken for a film buff or film critic). Going into the theater, I knew Wuthering Heights was going to be a hard watch because I’m a historical film lover. I absolutely love 1917 (2019), and β don’t get mad β Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). These historical movies, real or not, were so good at depicting historical accuracy, and both had beautiful cinematography. I love every kind of period romance from Pride and Prejudice (1995) to Emma (2020), and don’t get me started on my love-hate relationship with 2005’s Pride and Prejudice or Netflix’s Bridgerton.
To say the least, I’m in-the-know about historical films, and Wuthering Heights? I just don’t think it makes the cut. But does it make up for what it lacks?
What’s Not to Like?
Wuthering Heights was so sexual! I’m not a prude, but there was an entire stretch where Catherine and Heathcliff don’t even care for each other in a romantic way, just about sex. I liked the film better before the weird BDSM scene between Joseph and Zillah. In the book, Joseph is a withered old man, so why Fennel chose to depict him as a younger man, I don’t know. It was supposed to be set in the late 1700s; it seemed awfully provocative for them to do these things regardless of class.
Then there is the case of highly inaccurate costuming. Lots of people were shocked at the inaccuracy depicted in the trailer, and more so after seeing the film. Emerald Fennel has said that the costuming is purposefully inaccurate, and call me boring, but I just don’t like it! I wanted historically accurate colors, costumes, and acting, like in Emma (2020).
The dresses that were least accurate to me were Catherine’s wedding night dress and her red latex gown. Dresses like these didn’t exist in the 1800s! Yes, they’re stunning, but my heart yearns for court dresses, petticoats, chemises, and more.
But was it worth it?
I did like Wuthering Heights‘ cinematography, and Fennel used the lack of historical accuracy to her advantage. The red motifs throughout the movie were eye-catching and perfectly foreshadowed Catherine’s death. I was enthralled with the fast pacing, and the scene in the garden was very Alice in Wonderland. I loved how dreamy and fantastical the set, clothing, and camera shots all looked. It was like living in Alice and Wonderland without the trippy caterpillar and Red Queen cutting off peoples’ heads.
As much as I hated certain aspects of the film, I liked Wuthering Heights. If you go into it with the expectation that you’ll be seeing Catherine’s POV, then the fantastical elements of her new life and the dreariness of her old life make so much more sense β in a white-washed, self-centered kind of way. The visuals were stunning, from the stop motion hair-intertwining in the intro to the death scene. Everything in the film is dark and gritty, yet also beautiful and techno-pop.
If you liked the book, this movie is not for you, and if you liked the movie, the book will shock you. The film itself is well made, and with a stacked cast and beautiful cinematography. As long as you don’t care for historical accuracy, you’ll like the movie. It’s stunning and fantastical, and overall, really well directed and acted.
I will warn you that Wuthering Heights is not for the weak-hearted. Tears will be flowing by the end of the movie, and as a precaution, you should take tissues with you. Especially if you’re looking forward to any historical accuracy.