There are two groups of people who have watched this movie: those who had not read Emily Brontë’s novel Wuthering Heights before seeing it, and those who had. I am in the first group – is this the reason why I believe this is the best-ever work of actors Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, playing the star-crossed lovers Cathy and Heathcliff?

The world premiere of Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” (note the quote marks) was held on 28 January and fans around the world have been able to see it in cinemas since 11 February. The question is whether they stayed fans afterwards.

Not because of the acting, the soundtrack, the script or any other cinematic quality, but because the film is not a faithful adaptation of Brontë’s story. But of course people who hadn’t read the book beforehand didn’t realise that.

Did you know, for example, that Heathcliff was originally described as dark-skinned? Or that the story in the novel was presented from the perspective of the housekeeper Nelly Dean (Hong Chau)? When you know these things, it totally changes your opinion of the film.

What is also worth mentioning is the unconventional soundtrack of the film, which forms Charli xcx’s album Wuthering Heights. Her fans were surely surprised when they heard it for the first time, as it has a completely different vibe from her previous songs. This only emphasises her talent – and was definitely a successful step in her career.

Besides that, it perfectly complemented the film’s cinematography, bringing out striking shots and carefully composed frames crafted by Linus Sandgren. The Swedish cinematographer reunited with Fennell after they previously worked together on her last film, Saltburn (2023) – another film that caused controversy.

Jacob Elordi and Alison Oliver – who plays Heathcliff’s wife, Isabella Linton – also appeared in Saltburn.