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Early Reviews Split on Emerald Fennell’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ Ahead of Release

Critics split over a sensual, first-half-only take that trades fidelity for style.

Overview

  • Rotten Tomatoes sits at roughly 72% from early notices as the film opens in theaters on February 13.
  • Several reviews applaud the production design, cinematography and Charli XCX’s anachronistic soundtrack, with Hong Chau’s Nelly widely singled out as a standout.
  • Dissenting critics argue the central romance lacks emotional heat and say the adaptation flattens the novel’s complexity.
  • Debate over Jacob Elordi’s casting as Heathcliff has renewed whitewashing concerns, with further scrutiny of the film’s reframing of characters and themes.
  • Warner Bros. asked reviewers to style the title with quotation marks, and industry projections reported via Deadline suggest a $70–$80 million global opening.