Critics’ reviews

“Wuthering Heights” (2026)

33 reviews from 33 publications. Critics’ score 54: 13 positive, 9 mixed, 11 negative.

Back to our review of “Wuthering Heights”

54
Positive
13
Mixed
9
Negative
11
Vulture
9 February 2026 · Alison Willmore
80*

Willmore calls Fennell’s adaptation her best film yet, praising its embrace of sensual, uncomplicated melodrama. She singles out Hong Chau’s wry Nelly as a welcome counterbalance to the lovers’ consuming passion.

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The Hollywood Reporter
9 February 2026 · David Rooney
78*

Rooney finds Fennell’s adaptation pulpy, provocative and highly entertaining, while noting that its approach may divide viewers attached to the novel. He praises the leads’ sizzling chemistry, especially Jacob Elordi’s portrayal of Heathcliff.

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IndieWire
9 February 2026 · B · Kate Erbland
77

Erbland finds the adaptation visually dazzling and often absurdly entertaining, but says its romance never becomes intense enough to make the film fully cohere. She especially praises its lavish, darkly comic production and costume design.

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Radio Times
11 February 2026 · Emma Simmonds
75*

The review presents the adaptation as a lively, entertaining reinvention. It singles out its outrageous, often irresistible sense of fun.

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The Observer
10 February 2026 · Wendy Ide
75*

Ide enjoys Fennell’s provocative, highly unfaithful adaptation, despite finding its final act underpowered. She particularly praises the charged chemistry and sensual visual design, as well as Alison Oliver’s comic timing.

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Total Film
13 February 2026 · Molly Edwards
75*

The critic finds Fennell’s adaptation works as a hazy, half-remembered dream, despite its departures from the novel. She praises its evocative dreamlike approach, while noting that it does not explore the novel’s themes deeply.

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The i Paper
9 February 2026 · Francesca Steele
70*

Steele finds the film a brash, funny spectacle that comes close to perfection but lacks depth. She praises the chemistry between Robbie and Elordi and Fennell’s striking visual style.

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Variety
9 February 2026 · Peter Debruge
70*

Debruge finds Fennell’s adaptation bold and engaging, though its eroticized consummation softens the lovers’ unrequited tension. He praises the operatic visual flourishes, especially Heathcliff’s striking departure against a crimson sky.

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Empire
10 February 2026 · Beth Webb
60*

The review finds the adaptation sumptuously crafted but says its erotic energy and emotional weight fade as style takes over. It praises the gothic atmosphere and young leads, especially Jacob Elordi’s powerful performance.

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Little White Lies
9 February 2026 · ★★★ · Hannah Strong
60

Strong finds Fennell’s adaptation visually striking but emotionally hollow, with little of the novel’s depth or heart. She praises the costumes and production design, but says they feel disconnected from the story.

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Screen Daily
9 February 2026 · Tim Grierson
60*

Grierson finds the adaptation flamboyant and entertaining, though overly melodramatic and somewhat shallow. He praises its Gothic visuals, atmospheric score and erotic scenes, while finding the central performances less than revelatory.

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Time Out
9 February 2026 · ★★★ · Leonie Cooper
60

The review presents the film as a glossy gothic romp but calls its romance unsexy. It singles out the film’s unruly take on Brontë as part of that glossy, provocative style.

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Sight and Sound
16 February 2026
55*

The review finds the film’s first half charged and visually arresting, but says the second half falters into repetition. It especially praises the elaborate production design and striking sets.

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Slant Magazine
9 February 2026 · ★★/4 · Rocco T. Thompson
50

The review finds the film visually tantalizing but difficult to swallow, with its critique of wealth and patriarchy ultimately lacking depth. It singles out the tactile, eroticized imagery as a feast for the senses, while faulting the film for reducing Cathy’s decision to selfishness and vanity.

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The AV Club
9 February 2026 · C- · Natalia Keogan
50

Keogan finds the adaptation dull and disappointing, saying it fails to deliver the transgressive edge audiences might expect. She singles out the inventive costumes and production design as a bright spot.

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Los Angeles Times
11 February 2026 · Amy Nicholson
35*

Nicholson finds the adaptation more teasing than genuinely erotic, with weak chemistry and a miscast lead undermining its ambitions. She praises Alison Oliver’s uninhibited performance as Isabella, along with the film’s bold production design and unsettling music.

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Evening Standard
19 February 2026 · India Block
30*

Block finds the adaptation entertaining but ultimately too tame and sentimental to deliver on its Gothic and kinky promise. She particularly criticizes its removal of the novel’s supernatural elements, which leaves the romance feeling less Gothic.

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Film Comment
· Genevieve Yue
30*

Yue’s standfirst dismisses this version of Wuthering Heights as limp. It singles out the film’s window dressing as a likely failing.

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The New Yorker
9 February 2026 · Justin Chang
30*

Chang finds the adaptation visually striking but emotionally superficial and tonally uncertain. He praises its inventive production design and costumes, while faulting the leads’ lack of onscreen connection and the film’s failure to convey the story’s tragic depth.

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The Independent
16 February 2026 · ★ · Clarisse Loughrey
20

Loughrey condemns the adaptation as hollow and astonishingly bad, arguing that it strips the novel of its emotional force. She singles out Charli xcx and Anthony Willis’s music as an exception, bringing dread missing elsewhere.

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The Guardian
9 February 2026 · Peter Bradshaw
15*

Bradshaw finds the adaptation emotionally hollow and unserious, criticizing its treatment of the central romance. He singles out Martin Clunes as the film’s most effective performer.

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The Playlist
9 February 2026 · B+ · Rodrigo Perez
83

Perez gives the film a strongly positive review, praising its maximalist, sincere approach to obsession and desire. He singles out Margot Robbie’s performance and the anachronistic Charli XCX music, while noting some supporting characters feel underwritten or cartoonish.

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Consequence
9 February 2026 · Liz Shannon Miller
80*

The critic finds Fennell’s adaptation a deliciously horny yet genuinely romantic take on the classic. Robbie and Elordi’s chemistry, along with the film’s vivid production design and music, earns particular praise.

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NME
80*

The critic finds Fennell’s adaptation a bold, invigorating reimagining, even if it is not definitive. They praise its maximalist style and the combustible performances of Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.

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Den of Geek
9 February 2026 · 4 out of 5 · David Crow
78*

Crow finds the film a seductive, visually sumptuous melodrama despite its departures from Brontë and a conventional ending. He especially praises the lavish design and the charged chemistry between Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.

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HeyUGuys
75*

The critic finds Fennell’s adaptation memorable and compelling despite its excesses and departures from the novel. They especially praise the volatile chemistry between Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.

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Digital Spy
9 February 2026 · Gabriella Geisinger
65*

Geisinger finds the adaptation captivating but flawed, with its romantic focus sometimes self-indulgent and its treatment of darker themes too watered down. She praises the evocative costumes and production design, especially their uncanny, emotionally charged imagery.

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/Film
9 February 2026 · 5 out of 10 · BJ Colangelo
59*

The critic finds the film a breathtaking but frustrating departure from the novel, with thematic shortcomings that undermine it as an adaptation. They praise its striking aesthetic and production design, especially the costumes, sets, cinematography, and lighting.

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Deadline
11 February 2026 · Damon Wise
25*

Wise finds Fennell’s adaptation lackluster, saying it lacks emotional force and runs out of ideas. He singles out Martin Clunes’s Mr. Earnshaw as the film’s only complex character.

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Film Stories
13 February 2026 · Maria Lattila
25*

Lattila finds the adaptation limp and disappointing, arguing that it fails to deliver the erotic boldness it promises. She praises the final scene’s visual beauty and emotion, but says it arrives too late to redeem the film.

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The Wrap
10 February 2026
25*

The critic finds the adaptation reductive and troubling, despite its sensual, flamboyant presentation. They praise the striking cinematography and production design, but say the film sacrifices the novel’s complexity.

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Collider
9 February 2026 · 2/10 · Therese Lacson
20

The critic finds the adaptation shallow, disappointing, and unfaithful to the novel. She praises the vivid cinematography and sweeping score, while faulting the jarring design and characterization.

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The Ringer
17 February 2026 · Adam Nayman
20*

Nayman finds the film a neutered, visually and dramatically unimaginative provocation that fails to get its hands dirty. He praises neither its adaptation nor its execution, and faults its self-conscious artificiality and lack of dramatic force.

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Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate