Emerald Fennell’s (Saltburn) adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel Wuthering Heights hits theaters next week, and the first reactions have been rolling in on social media. Unsurprisingly, the film is being described as breathtaking, deeply romantic, and—yes—decidedly horny. Critics are also raving about the electric chemistry between Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein), who star as Catherine and Heathcliff, respectively.
Wuthering Heights First Reactions
Emerald Fennell’s #WutheringHeightsMovie is a god-tier new classic. Intoxicating, transcendent, tantalizing, bewitching, lust worthy, hypnotic. Expertly captures the breathtaking ache & essence of desire. Sandgren’s cinematography, spellbinding. Davies’ production design, sublime pic.twitter.com/LKkq6eRjNJ
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) February 3, 2026
I won’t speak on source fidelity. But as a film, #WutheringHeights rocks. A large-scale retelling of a small(er)-scale melodrama, with all the big-budget production value and cinematic style value we once took for granted, it works on its own terms as a nuanced romantic tragedy. pic.twitter.com/Mu2BxboT3w
— Scott Mendelson (@ScottMendelson) January 29, 2026
Embargo up? This is not the #WutheringHeights you read in school, and you’re either going to love it or hate it…and I loved it. Potentially my favourite performance from Jacob Elordi, definitely makes the top 3 for Margot but what made me stand up to attention was the score and… pic.twitter.com/aK6MRmvuum
— ada enechi (@adaenechi) January 29, 2026
#WutheringHeightsMovie is a sumptuous feast for the romantic in us all. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi’s chemistry is divine. It’s a little long and patchy, but it’s easy to get caught in its web. Anthony Willis’s score & Charli XCX’s songs are major. Stunning cinematography. pic.twitter.com/DZR4dHjl60
— Jeff Nelson (@SirJeffNelson) February 3, 2026
Sooooo the Emily Bronte girlies like me are gonna eat up #WutheringHeightsMovie with a spoon. The changes Fennell makes to the text make sense. The mess. is. there. Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie make the characters their own. The English major in me is so proud. pic.twitter.com/jfKd3iSDtH
— Kristen Lopez (@kristenklopez) February 3, 2026
“WUTHERING HEIGHTS” is a seductively captivating tear-jerker. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi are simply magnetic together and Emerald Fennell’s inspired vision pans out well. Plus, Charli XCX’s music blends with the orchestra nicely. #WutheringHeightsMovie pic.twitter.com/ZMo2QG1FqH
— Christopher Gallardo || FALLOUT S2 FINALE (@chrisagwrites) February 3, 2026
#WutheringHeights is an epic, yearning romance with a beautiful vision from Emerald Fennell.
Breathtaking cinematography, production design, and score, with two incredible performances from Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.
Steamy, emotional, and captivating. pic.twitter.com/u22RfqnLix
— Jonathan Sim (@TheJonathanSim) February 3, 2026
#WutheringHeights is utter perfection. It’s not only visually impeccable with vibrancy and breathtaking shots, but this movie is the epitome of YEARNING.
It will make you feel absolutely EVERYTHING during and afterwards.
I loved everything about this film
— Maude Garrett (@maudegarrett) January 29, 2026
Fall in love again and again with Emerald Fennell’s imagining of #WutheringHeights. From its gorgeous set design & costumes, striking cinematography, & bombastic music by Charli XCX, the film leans into the passion + obsession of Catherine & Heathcliff’s torrid love story. pic.twitter.com/rHpD0jsahv
— Meredith Loftus (@MeredithLoftus) January 29, 2026
Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” is a scorching hot and twisted tale. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi’s chemistry and sexual tension is a whole other level of HOT! Only Emerald could take a classic, turn it on its head, make you fall completely in lust, and then utterly… pic.twitter.com/4G8dftLSpy
— Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt) January 29, 2026
These types of first reactions are typically overly positive, but all things considered, it sounds like Fennell has another winner on her hands with Wuthering Heights. The film seems poised to become a major hit when it debuts on February 13, just in time for Valentine’s Day weekend.
All About the Film
Wuthering Heights, which was first published in 1847, deals with “Heathcliff, an orphan-turned-foster-son who falls in love with the daughter of the family who owns the estate on which he now lives, Wuthering Heights. After running away, Heathcliff rises up through the ranks of the gentry and exacts revenge on the families — the Earnshaws and the Lintons — who kept him from his true love.“
In addition to Robbie and Elordi, the film also stars Shazad Latif (Star Trek: Discovery) as Edgar Linton, Hong Chau (The Whale) as Nelly Dean, Alison Oliver (Conversations with Friends) as Isabella Linton, Martin Clunes (Doc Martin) as Mr. Earnshaw, and Ewan Mitchell (House of the Dragon) as Joseph.
Wuthering Heights has been adapted to the screen numerous times, including in 1939 with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon, 1970 with Timothy Dalton and Anna Calder-Marshall, 1992 with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, and 2011 with Kaya Scodelario and James Howson.
The film is being released by Warner Bros., but it could just as easily have debuted on Netflix. The streaming service offered Fennell a massive $150 million deal for the project, but she turned it down for the smaller $80 million offer from Warner Bros., which promised a wide release and a full marketing campaign. Netflix was reportedly “shocked” by this choice, but it looks like a project meant for the big screen.
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