Wuthering Heights: First Reactions To The Margot Robbie & Jacob Elordi Movie Surface Online

There are book adaptations and then there are book adaptations, and the upcoming release of "Wuthering Heights" probably resides in a league of its own. It's not just that the Warner Bros. film stars two name-brand stars in Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi (most recently coming off his Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in "Frankenstein") or comes from a bona fide visionary (divisive though she may be) in writer/director Emerald Fennell. No, book readers know full well how much of a big deal it is for original author Emily Brontë's "greatest love story of all time" — as the marketing has billed it — to get the big-screen treatment one more time.

That's why this film has received plenty of attention in the months and weeks in advance of its debut, with hype reaching stratospheric levels for even the barest hint of what audiences can expect. Thankfully, the earliest reactions from the Los Angeles premiere held on January 28, 2026 have finally begun to surface online and critics are now teasing what seems like one of the spiciest, most subversive, and visually stunning productions of the year.

Read on for all the reactions!

If the earliest reactions are to be believed, "Wuthering Heights" stands a very good chance of becoming 2026's first major hit at the box office. Fans have been eagerly anticipating the upcoming adaptation of Emily Brontë's original novel, despite (or perhaps because of) several changes it appears to make to the source material. The respective castings of Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff already stirred up a hornet's nest when first announced, but those familiar with Emerald Fennell films such as "Promising Young Woman" and especially "Saltburn" know that the filmmaker has a taste for the controversial. That appears to be the case here, as well, but we'll let the first reactions do the talking.

Only time will tell just how divisive "Wuthering Heights" may be, so here's just a taste of what to expect. Ada Enechi of BuzzFeed posted on X (formerly Twitter) that, "This is not the ['Wuthering Heights'] you read in school, and you're either going to love it or hate it ... and I loved it." She goes on to praise its two main leads and its unique take on the material, saying, "Potentially my favourite performance from Jacob Elordi, definitely makes the top 3 for Margot [Robbie] but what made me stand up to attention was the score and cinematography — breathtaking. It's passionate, it's daring and explores a version of the classic that deserves our attention."

Collider's Meredith Loftus echoes those thoughts, praising the "gorgeous set design & costumes, striking cinematography, & bombastic music by Charli XCX." For those curious about its treatment of the book, she explains, "[The] film leans into the passion + obsession of Catherine & Heathcliff's torrid love story."

If the various trailers and extremely suggestive posters didn't already make this obvious, these next reactions should confirm beyond any doubt just how intensely "Wuthering Heights" captures the central love affair between main characters Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. Yes, that means we can likely look forward to a whole new round of "Do sex scenes belong in movies?" discourse to rage online for the foreseeable future. Good stuff.

For now, those who've seen "Wuthering Heights" continue to describe a passionate and emotionally-charged epic. Television host and interviewer Maude Garrett posted on X that the film is "utter perfection. It's not only visually impeccable with vibrancy and breathtaking shots, but this movie is the epitome of YEARNING." Audiences would be well-advised to anticipate experiencing the full range of emotions. Garrett continues, "It will make you feel absolutely EVERYTHING during and afterwards."

Perhaps the highest praise comes from Variety's Jazz Tangcay, who laid out her thoughts in full:

"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 destroy your soul. An exquisite spectacle of craftsmanship that left me salivating over the costumes, cinematography and production design. Obsessively in love with it."

This should help tide fans over while we wait for full-length reviews to publish ... or make the wait even harder to bear. Either way, "Wuthering Heights" is slated to hit theaters just in time for Valentine's Day on February 13, 2026.