Highlights
- Emerald Fennell’s adaptation holds a 72% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes
- Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie lead the reimagining of Emily Brontë’s novel
- Opening weekend projections range between £35 million and £47 million
Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, starring Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie, has arrived in cinemas with a largely favourable critical response. Timed for release over Valentine’s Day weekend, the adaptation has generated sustained interest for its casting and its interpretation of Emily Brontë’s Gothic novel.
With 74 reviews counted, the film currently stands at 72 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes — comfortably above the threshold required to avoid a “rotten” rating.
With two bankable leads and broadly positive reviews, the adaptation enters its first weekend with momentumGetty Images
Where it stands in Jacob Elordi’s career
Elordi’s profile has risen steadily since his breakout role in Euphoria. His recent Rotten Tomatoes scores include:
- Frankenstein – 85%
- The Narrow Road to the Deep North (series) – 100%
- On Swift Horses – 53%
- Priscilla – 84%
- Saltburn – 72%
- Euphoria (series) – 87%
He recently earned an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. Industry speculation has also linked him to the next James Bond project, reportedly to be directed by Denis Villeneuve.
At 72 per cent, Wuthering Heights aligns closely with Saltburn, placing it among his solid, if not top-tier, critical performers.
Margot Robbie’s mixed but high-profile run
Robbie’s career reflects both critical acclaim and commercial highs. Her notable Rotten Tomatoes scores include:
- A Big Bold Beautiful Journey – 37%
- Barbie – 88%
- Babylon – 57%
- Amsterdam – 31%
- The Suicide Squad – 90%
- Birds of Prey – 79%
- Suicide Squad – 26%
- I, Tonya – 90%
- The Wolf of Wall Street – 79%
Her most significant box office success remains Barbie, which grossed $1.4 billion worldwide. She first gained global recognition in The Wolf of Wall Street before portraying Harley Quinn across three DC films.
Fennell’s third feature
Fennell, who won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Promising Young Woman in 2021, directs the adaptation. She previously collaborated with Elordi on Saltburn. Wuthering Heights marks her third feature as writer-director.
What critics are saying
Critical opinion has been engaged, if divided.
Mashable described the film as “a passionate but incoherent collage of teenage lust and rebellion”.
The Atlantic called it Fennell’s strongest film to date, while also describing it as “a gooey, grimy mess”.
Variety observed that while literary traditionalists may object, the film draws out and heightens the novel’s underlying intensity in ways earlier adaptations have not.
Opening weekend expectations
Industry projections estimate an opening between £35 million and £47 million. With two bankable leads and broadly positive reviews, the adaptation enters its first weekend with momentum — though its long-term performance will determine whether critical approval translates into sustained box office success.
