Calling all film and book lovers – a new book-to-film adaptation just dropped! Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of “Wuthering Heights” hit theaters on February 13, 2026. As we know, when there’s a book adaptation, there is always discourse on whether the film fits the standard that the book set or just a big disappointment. I always tend to watch film adaptations of books I’ve read and, personally, I’m a firm believer of “the book is always better than the movie.” There are just some things that can only be captured in a book than in film and vice versa. Regardless, “Wuthering Heights” had its positives and negatives.
“Wuthering Heights” (2026) is about the tragic love story of Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) and Catherine Earnshaw (Margot Robbie) – loosely based on Emily Brontë’s novel, Wuthering Heights. When I say loosely based, I mean it. Comparing the film to the book is disastrous. However, the title of the film has quotation marks, signifying that the film is intended to be more of an interpretation rather than a page by page remake. With that in mind, it was a good film overall. Hear me out before disagreeing! If we separate the film from the book, meaning judging it as a standalone film, it’s a solid film.
To go into greater detail, the cinematography of the film was top tier. The shot alone of Catherine in her wedding dress walking with the mountains and the gloomy sky was very beautiful; the way that the veil flowed and the sadness on Catherine’s face just emphasized the feel of the scene. The various shots at the moors were beautiful and seemed right out of the book – gloomy and dark. Also, the scene where Heathcliff reunites with Catherine is so beautifully shot, with the fog that clears up and reveals Heathcliff. It reminded me of the scene in Pride and Prejudice where Mr. Darcy comes to find Elizabeth to confess his love. There are so many other amazing scenes, but I fear I would run out of space.
As a lover of fashion, I also loved the costumes. Although it did hurt that they were not historically accurate, they were beautiful, and they offered some key details. For example, most of Catherine’s skirts were red, foreshadowing her death at the end. Hot take: I also liked Catherine’s wedding nightgown because she was wrapped like a present for Edgar, which portrays her almost like more of a decorative item that he owns now instead of a person. I think it sets the tone for the sequence of scenes through the years, where Catherine is just another doll in the Linton house. I loved the contrast between the Linton’s wear vs. the Earnshaw’s – it depicted the different worlds they belonged to.
Another thing I have to talk about is the soundtrack of this film. Charlie XCX constructed an amazing album for this film without a doubt. I haven’t stopped listening to “Chains of Love” or “Dying for You.” The film may have not been a favorite, but the soundtrack definitely is. Besides Charlie’s album, I really loved the song “Dark-Eyed Sailor” by Olivia Chaney. The song just gives out an inexplicable feeling, almost like when you have a lump in your throat. It’s been on repeat for me since the film was released – 100% recommend listening to it if you haven’t yet.
Now to the not-so-great aspects of the film. Every actor in this film is an amazing actor, and they did a phenomenal job with their acting in this film. However, I think everyone would agree that Jacob Elordi was miscasted. In “Wuthering Heights,” Heathcliff’s character was described as having a darker complexion – a “lascar” – and found in Liverpool, a city that was heavily used for slave trade, indicating he is not white. Racism and class discrimination is also kind of the whole plot of the book; it’s the main reason why Heathcliff and Catherine could not be together and the reason why Heathcliff changes into this angry vengeful character.
Additionally, the film changes one of strongest female characters represented in literature and changes her into a submissive. Isabella Linton’s (Alison Oliver) character in the film falls blindly in love with Heathcliff, just like in the book. In the film, however, Isabella and Heathcliff’s relationship is portrayed as that of a dom/sub relationship that Isabella enjoys being in. For me, it was kind of sad that they changed her portrayal and to witness a woman being stripped from herself and treated so low. On the other hand, in the book, after marrying her for revenge against the Lintons, Heathcliff becomes heavily abusive, which causes Isabella to gather her strength and flee.
The film ends with Heathcliff cradling Catherine’s dead body and cuts to a black screen. In the theaters, I was a little dumbfouneded waiting for the second part of the story. I know past versions of “Wuthering Heights” films rarely include the second part of the book, but I was subconsciously waiting for it. It would have been interesting to see Catherine haunting Heathcliff. There’s so much to the book that the film doesn’t show, so I would recommend reading the book. Warning though – it will not be like the film, it’s not a love story, and there’s no spice!