Wuthering Heights Movie 2026 | Recap and Review

Intro

Imagine if the Gothic aesthetic of the 1840s met the toxic, sweaty obsession of Saltburn. It is less about Victorian repression and more about feral, unhinged desire.

Director: Emerald Fennell (Saltburn, Promising Young Woman)

Starring: Margot Robbie (Catherine), Jacob Elordi (Heathcliff), Hong Chau (Nelly Dean)

Release Date: February 2026

Genre: Gothic Romance / Psychological Thriller

Recap

Act I: The Feral Youth

The film opens on the windswept, muddy Yorkshire moors, visually stunning but claustrophobic.

We meet Mr. Earnshaw (Martin Clunes), who is depicted not as a kindly old man, but as a erratic, drunken patriarch. He brings home a foundling, Heathcliff (played as a child by Owen Cooper).

Major Change #1: Fennell effectively merges the characters of Mr. Earnshaw and his son Hindley. In the book, Hindley is the brother who abuses Heathcliff.

In the movie, it is the father figure himself who creates a chaotic, violent environment. This strips away the sibling rivalry dynamic and focuses purely on the trauma shared by Catherine and Heathcliff.

Catherine and Heathcliff grow up as soulmates in the darkest sense. They are wild animals, biting and clawing at each other, creating a bond that is part love, part shared psychosis.

Act II: The Betrayal

As they reach adulthood, the class divide becomes a chasm. Catherine (Margot Robbie) is wild but acutely aware of her poverty.

She catches the eye of the wealthy, polished, but dreadfully boring Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif) at Thrushcross Grange.

The pivotal scene occurs in the kitchen: Catherine confesses to the housekeeper Nelly Dean (Hong Chau) that it would degrade her to marry Heathcliff.

Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) overhears this and flees into the storm. devastated, Catherine marries Edgar, trading her soul for silk dresses and security.

Act III: The Return of the King

Three years later, Heathcliff returns. And this is the Emerald Fennell touch: he hasn’t just become rich; he has been transformed. Elordi plays him as a menacing, brooding sex symbol, dressed in sharp coats, with a gold filling and a predatory gaze.

He buys Wuthering Heights (the estate of his abusers) and begins a psychological game of torture. He seduces Edgar’s sister, Isabella (Alison Oliver), not out of love, but to break Edgar and punish Catherine. The film leans heavily into the erotic tension here, this is not a polite parlor drama.

It is a messy, violent love triangle where everyone is miserable, yet addicted to the misery.

The Ending Explained

If you have read the book, you know it is a multi-generational saga. This movie is not.

The Narrative Cut

Fennell makes the controversial decision to cut the entire second half of the novel. There is no Catherine II (Cathy’s daughter) and no Hareton (Hindley’s son).

The story ends with the first generation.

The Death Scene

Catherine, torn between her husband and her soulmate, descends into madness and illness (implied to be complications of childbirth mixed with a broken heart/psychosomatic hysteria).

The final confrontation between her and Heathcliff is visceral. It isn’t a tender goodbye; it’s an accusation. They grasp at each other desperately, blaming one another for killing them.

The Final Shot

Catherine dies. In the book, the story continues for another 20 years, showing how the next generation heals the trauma. In the movie, the story stops at the grave.

Heathcliff is left alone in the room with her body. He is not redeemed. He is not softened. He is simply destroyed. He begs her to haunt him, to drive him mad, because he cannot live in a world where she does not exist.

The film ends on a note of absolute, suffocating nihilism. The love didn’t heal anyone; it scorched the earth.

Review

1. The Saltburn-ification” of Brontë

Fennell treats the source material less like a holy text and more like a vibe board. By removing the second generation (Hareton and Cathy II), she removes the hope. The novel is about how trauma echoes through families but can eventually be healed.

The movie is purely about the trauma. It transforms a story of redemption into a story of mutually assured destruction.

2. The Daddy Issue

By merging Hindley and Mr. Earnshaw, the film simplifies Heathcliff’s motivation. In the book, Heathcliff is abused by his peer/brother, which fuels a competitive revenge. In the movie, his abuse comes from the father, making his trauma more about parental rejection.

It’s a Freudian shift that changes the flavor of his rage.

3. Style Over Substance?

Critics are split. Some love the music video energy, the saturated colors, the needle drops, the sheer hotness of Robbie and Elordi. Others argue it misses the point of Heathcliff.

In the book, Heathcliff is a rough, unrefined outsider. Casting Jacob Elordi (who looks like a runway model) turns Heathcliff into a Bad Boy trope rather than a gritty outcast.

Wuthering Heights (2026) is a visual feast that will leave purists screaming into their pillows. It is toxic, horny, and incredibly bleak: a monster movie where the monsters are the two most beautiful people on earth.

Where to Watch Wuthering Heights Movie 2026

Is the Margot Robbie & Jacob Elordi romance streaming yet?

Emerald Fennell’s polarizing new take on Wuthering Heights has finally arrived, bringing a modern, “feral” energy to the classic Brontë novel. If you are dying to see the chemistry that has the internet spiraling, here is your watch guide.

1. Currently in Theaters (Exclusive Window)

As of February 2026, Wuthering Heights is playing exclusively in cinemas worldwide.

Release Date: February 13, 2026 (Global).

Format: We highly recommend seeking out a theater with Dolby Cinema sound. The sound design of the windswept moors is a character in itself.

2. When Will It Stream?

Since this is a Warner Bros. release, we can predict the streaming timeline based on recent patterns:

PVOD (Rental): Expect to rent it on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Google Play around late March 2026 (45 days after release).

Streaming Subscription (Max): The film will make its streaming debut exclusively on Max (formerly HBO Max).

• Predicted Date: May 2026.

3. Is it on Netflix?

No. As a Warner Bros. production, it will likely stay on Max for the foreseeable future. It may come to Netflix in international territories (like the UK or Australia) much later, but US viewers will need Max.

Summary: If you want to be part of the conversation now, you need to buy a movie ticket. Otherwise, prepare to wait until Spring for the Max release.