It seems every year a new adaptation of a beloved classic is handed to a filmmaker who is determined not to preserve it. From Anna Karenina (2012), Bram Stroker’s Dracula (1992), and now Wuthering Heights (2026), filmmakers continue to take films full of moving plots, emotional turmoil, and moral resolutions and turn them into a stylized spectacle. It is honestly an art in itself to take a Classic Novel and make it into everything it is not, simultaneously making the authors roll in their graves. This is not to discredit all book-to-movie adaptations, because there are so many that are exquisitely done, but Emerald Fennell, best known for Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, has already received criticism for her “adaptation”. The novel is not a sweeping love story as pop culture often insists. It is safe to say that this movie will not be included amongst the A-List adaptations of the present day.
One of the biggest criticisms of Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is the casting of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. In Brontë’s novel, Heathcliff is racially ambiguous. Found in Liverpool, a major port city deeply entangled in the transatlantic slave trade and described as a “dark-skinned gipsy”, a term historically associated with Romani identity. Whether these claims are exaggerations or expressions of xenophobic imagination, regardless of Heathcliff’s true ethnicity, Jacob Elordi is a white man. This matters because this shifts the foundation of the story. Heathcliff is not merely an outsider because he is poor; he is an outsider because he is racialized, foreign, and socially illegible within the rigid hierarchies of 19th-century England. Catherine’s refusal to marry him stems not from the lack of wealth but from the social stigma surrounding his identity. In many critics’ opinions, the change of this entire plot point dilutes the novel’s engagement with classism and racism.
Ironically, the adaptation cast Nelly and Edgar Linton with Thai and Pakistani actors, respectively. While inclusive casting is long overdue in period dramas, critics argue that redistributing racial identity among supporting characters while whitening Heathcliff undermines the novel’s central tension. The concern was never inclusivity; it is selective diversity, removing racial marginalization from the character for whom it matters most.
Another major point of discourse is the Isabella Linton of it all. In the novel, she is naïve but resolute. She defies her brother and marries Heathcliff out of what she believes is love. When confronted with Heathcliff’s abuse, she makes the choice of survival. She moves away and raises her child independently, an act of strength in the overbearing patriarchy of the time. The movie heavily sexualizes Isabella, going against all she stands for in Brontë’s novel. Isabella does not play into the violence. Transforming her into a suffering spectacle trivializes domestic abuse and fundamentally misreads her character.
With that being said, there is no way to escape the anxiety of the modern adaptation era. The challenge is not innovation itself, but it is understanding what must remain intact. Wuthering Heights is not a love story dressed in gothic aesthetics. It is a storm of resentment, social brutality, and destructive longing. And storms, once sanitized, cease to be storms at all.
In response, here are some amazing book-to-movie adaptations that rework the plot, but the central themes are integral to the story.
- Little Women (2019) – Greta Gerwig
- Follows the infamous March Sisters in 19th century Massachusetts as they grow up and pursue their different dreams.
- Based on Louisa May Allott’s novel, Little Women (1868)
- Follows the infamous March Sisters in 19th century Massachusetts as they grow up and pursue their different dreams.
- Emma (2020) – Autumn de Wilde
- Emma Woodhouse is a meddling young woman who enjoys matchmaking but faces romantic missteps and learns about real love.
- Based on Jane Austen’s novel, Emma (1815)
- Emma Woodhouse is a meddling young woman who enjoys matchmaking but faces romantic missteps and learns about real love.
- Call Me by Your Name (2017) – Luca Guadagnino
- Follows a 17-year-old boy and 24-year-old grad student as they navigate love, desire, and self-discovery through sensual and intellectual connection.
- Based on Andre Aciman’s novel, Call Me by Your Name (2007)
- Follows a 17-year-old boy and 24-year-old grad student as they navigate love, desire, and self-discovery through sensual and intellectual connection.
- Frankenstein (2025) – Guillermo del Toro
- Follows a scientist and his creation as they navigate abandonment, scientific ethics, and humanity, leading to tragic consequences.
- Based on Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein (1818)
- Follows a scientist and his creation as they navigate abandonment, scientific ethics, and humanity, leading to tragic consequences.
- Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) – Stephen Chbosky
- Follows a high school friend group, with Charlie at the center, as they navigate love, trauma, and identity
- Based on Stephen Chbosky’s novel, Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999)
- Follows a high school friend group, with Charlie at the center, as they navigate love, trauma, and identity