Despite dividing opinions, the film has established itself as one of HBO Max's most talked-about movies in early May. On social media, many viewers praised the chemistry between Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, while others complained about changes made to the original story.
But after all, is it worth watching the new Wuthering Heights? And why is this adaptation generating so much repercussion?
What is Wuthering Heights about?
The plot follows the intense relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, a young orphan taken in by the protagonist's family in childhood. Growing up together amidst the dark Yorkshire landscapes, the two develop a profound and destructive emotional bond.
Over the years, social differences, pride and resentments transform the relationship into something painful and practically impossible. Catherine ends up choosing a path considered safer for her life, while Heathcliff descends into a cycle of revenge that affects everyone around him.
In the new adaptation, Emerald Fennell makes the narrative even more charged with emotional tension and sensuality. The film prioritizes the psychological drama of the protagonists and reduces some of the events present in the original novel.
This choice led to the film being compared to other recent adaptations that reinterpret literary classics through a more modern and stylized lens.
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi were controversial casting choices
Well before the premiere, the cast was already generating debates on the internet. Some readers of the book criticized Jacob Elordi's casting as Heathcliff, a character described in the work as a dark-skinned man of mysterious origin.
The debate about the whitewashing of the character resurfaced on social media, especially because few previous adaptations attempted to respect this characteristic of the original work. The 2011 version, directed by Andrea Arnold, was one of the rare exceptions by casting James Howson in the lead role.
Still, Jacob Elordi ended up receiving praise from part of the audience for the physical and emotional intensity he brought to the character. His dark appearance and explosive behavior helped reinforce the more aggressive tone of the adaptation.
Margot Robbie, meanwhile, appears in a more impulsive and emotional version of Catherine. The actress was praised mainly in the film's final scenes, considered by many to be the strongest in the production.
Film focuses more on obsession and revenge than romance
Although many people treat Wuthering Heights as a great love story, various scholars of the work claim that the true central theme of the novel is the destruction caused by obsession.
This view also appears in the new HBO Max adaptation.
The film shows Heathcliff much more as a figure consumed by pain and resentment than as a traditional romantic hero. The relationship between him and Catherine is marked by emotional dependence, manipulation and suffering.
The famous phrase "I am Heathcliff," spoken by Catherine in the original work, encapsulates this obsessive nature of their bond rather than a declaration of romantic love.
