Butting Heads with Bronte: Why Emerald Fennell’s erotic take on Wuthering Heights is problematic

By Sabrina Stevenson

The recent teaser for Emerald Fennell’s 2026 film, Wuthering Heights has sparked widespread controversy amongst film-goers, especially those familiar with the 19th-century novel it claims to interpret. The casting of 35 year-old Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and a famously white Jacob Elordi as a famously non-white Heathcliff, as well as a musical feature from hyperpop artist Charli XCX, has certainly shirked expectations for an adaptation of the beloved Bronte novel. While I do not expect perfect book-to-screen accuracy, I do expect an adaptation–especially one with the same literary namesake–to honour the core thematic and character motivations which make the story unique. It seems Fennell and I may not be on the same page (or book?).

The teaser opens with a wide-shot of the foggy English moors, establishing a dark and moody atmosphere which readers will expect. Yet, a successive close-up of a flushed and visibly much-older-than-teenage Robbie presents a very different Catherine. This Catherine, musically accompanied by Charli XCX’s “Everything is Romantic”, appears to be driven to Heathcliff solely by sexual desire. Robbie’s fluttering eyelashes and parted lips flash between stolen glances toward a shirtless Elordi, loosening corsetry, and heaving cleavage.

Credit: IMDB

This imagery implies that it is sexual passion which drives Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship, which I believe is Fennell’s profound mistake. A reading of the novel will tell you it is their youth which is the foundation of their relationship. Heathcliff arrives at the Earnshaw household as an orphan child, putting him in an incredibly vulnerable position as he must rely on the kindness (or lack thereof) of the Earnshaws in order to survive. Catherine, hell-bent on defying her father, becomes Heathcliff’s only solace amidst the cruelty of Catherine’s brother Hindley. I find horniness between two 30-year olds a poor replacement for a bond born out of a desperation for companionship in formative childhood years.

Fennell also fails to recognize the quest for identity which tests Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship. Catherine, in the search for societal acceptance, abandons her love for Heathcliff and marries the wealthy Edgar Linton instead, securing a comfortable life and high social class. This is a choice driven both by naivete and the pressure of entering formal society, something I just don’t buy when watching an older Robbie.

Heathcliff, now torn from the acceptance he experienced with Catherine, dedicates his life to climbing the social ranks in order to craft an identity which might have won her affections. Yet his race continues to put him on the outskirts of a society, making his wild frenzy of revenge futile in his quest for happiness. Slapping a haggard beard on a white Elordi and labelling him ‘poor’ can simply never fully exemplify this struggle. 

That being said, I am not a book purist by any means. In fact, I think that the modernization of literary classics can actually be incredibly successful when executed correctly. Take the 1995 film Clueless, for example. A loose retelling of Emma by Jane Austen, Clueless has its fair share of sexual innuendos and a modern soundtrack. Where it differs from Fennell, however, is in its loyalty to the original character motivations. Both Cher and Emma are spoiled teens who live charmed lives, crown themselves matchmaker and superior to their peers, and ultimately face a stark humbling which allows them to overcome their selfishness by the end of the story. This makes the deviations from the source material satisfying and clever – being able to pick out the actions of a 19th-century English girl in a mini-skirt wearing Beverly Hills teen means you’ve done something right. Strip away the costuming and foggy atmosphere of Fennel’s teaser and you find something unrecognizable from the likes of Catherine and Heathcliff.

Credit: Newsday

It is also worth noting that these are opinions based on a 1 minute teaser, not a complete film. While I may not be the most keen audience member, I do intend to watch this adaptation on its release and form a fully informed opinion then. Though I doubt that any amount of popcorn or comfy cinema chairs will be enough to change my mind.