Is Emerald Fennell’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ Disturbing? Exploring Its Dark Themes

Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ has captivated readers for nearly two centuries, with its haunting moors and obsessive characters leaving a lasting impact on popular culture. When Emerald Fennell, the Oscar-winning director known for ‘Saltburn’ and ‘Promising Young Woman’, announced her adaptation featuring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, audiences were eager to know just how dark this rendition would be.

Released on February 13, the film is categorized as a romantic period drama, and Fennell has emphasized that it serves as a loose reinterpretation of Brontë’s novel rather than a direct adaptation. Speaking at the Brontë Women’s Writing Festival, Fennell shared that the source material profoundly affected her when she first encountered it at fourteen, describing it as “so sexy, so horrible, so devastating.” This blend of descriptors likely hints at the experience she aimed to create.

To directly address the question: ‘Wuthering Heights’ is not a horror film in the traditional sense. There are no jump scares, supernatural beings, or slasher scenes. However, it is not exactly comfortable viewing either.

The film heavily incorporates gothic elements, portraying the Yorkshire moors as a character that ensnares its protagonists in their own despair. The “scare factor” is rooted in human cruelty rather than the supernatural. Fennell noted in a column for the Los Angeles Times that she has always been drawn to the gothic genre, where “comedy and horror, revulsion and desire, sex and death are forever entwined, where every exchange is heavy with the threat of violence, or sex or both.” This sensibility is evident in every frame of her adaptation.

The film opens with unsettling sounds during the credits, which are revealed to belong not to a romantic moment but to a public hanging, with an intrigued crowd watching. The darkness in the film is less about genre tropes and more about atmosphere and emotional depth.

Domestic abuse is depicted through an alcoholic father figure, with disturbing sounds of a young boy being beaten and scars shown on his back afterward. Characters lash out in anger, and one scene features a character pressing a sewing needle into her own hand. Another death is portrayed with a significant amount of blood, symbolizing miscarriage. These elements are not exploitative but serve to capture what Fennell describes as the raw, jagged edges of Brontë’s world.

The MPA has rated the film R primarily for strong sexual content, nudity, and violence. Unlike previous PG-13 adaptations, this version aims to portray the feral nature of Brontë’s characters. Interestingly, there is no explicit nudity despite the rating, with sex scenes performed while clothed. However, the film does include several deaths, graphic blood depictions, and the sounds and aftermath of severe physical child abuse.

Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of ‘Wuthering Heights’ is not any single scene but the cumulative psychological impact of immersing oneself in a narrative centered on toxic obsession, class resentment, and emotional manipulation.

Fennell told W Magazine that she views Emily Brontë as “radically amoral” and “absolutely refused to make judgments.” She added that the ambiguity surrounding whether ‘Wuthering Heights’ is a toxic love story or a transcendent romance is both “the point and the fun of it all.” Her film intentionally maintains that moral ambiguity, meaning viewers seeking a clear hero or redemptive arc will be disappointed.

Common Sense Media points out that Heathcliff and Cathy are not merely in love but obsessed with one another, and their dynamic feels like the kind of love everyone fears experiencing. This psychological dimension, portraying a relationship that is both intensely desirable and destructively toxic, is where the film achieves its most enduring unease.

The film has been characterized as less a period piece and more a psychological thriller in corsets, reflecting Fennell’s unique aesthetic rather than a traditional literary adaptation. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes have described it as “draped in vibrant silks and gothic broodiness,” noting that while it diverges from the source material, it captures the Brontë essence with style. Currently, the film holds a 57% critics score on the site, indicating a divide between those who appreciate Fennell’s provocative approach and those who find it excessive.

Viewers expecting a sweeping, traditional romantic period drama may find the film more provocative than profound, while younger romantics might consider it one of the most emotionally stirring films they have ever seen. The reality, as with much of Fennell’s work, likely lies somewhere between these two perspectives.

If you are sensitive to depictions of emotional abuse, self-harm imagery, or psychologically intense relationships, it’s advisable to approach ‘Wuthering Heights’ with caution rather than avoiding it altogether. It is not crafted to terrify, but it is certainly designed to disturb, challenge, and linger.

Share your thoughts in the comments about whether you found ‘Wuthering Heights’ genuinely unsettling or merely provocative for the sake of provocation.