What Wuthering Heights did to Isabella is unforgivable – and is part of the movie’s wider problem

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Isabella Linton’s fate is among the most heartbreaking in Emily Brontë’s novel, Wuthering Heights. The book, a gothic classic first published in 1847, is known for its harsh treatment of all its characters. It has remained popular for centuries, sparking many adaptations, including a recent and controversial version by Emerald Fennell, featuring Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie.

The movie’s title, with its quotation marks, is meant to suggest a personal interpretation of the original story – Fennell has explained it reflects how she imagined the book as a teen. However, some viewers might see this as a way to avoid addressing potential criticism of the changes made when adapting the story for the big screen.

How much you’re willing to accept Fennell’s take on Wuthering Heights depends on how you feel about the original novel. If it’s not for you, that’s perfectly fine. Regardless of your opinion, Fennell was entitled to put her own spin on the story, and all adaptations involve some changes and new ideas.

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Whether or not you think the costumes are accurate, or object to the graphic details like sweaty skin or added sex scenes (surprisingly, the original Cathy and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights had very little physical contact), the way Isabella’s character is handled is truly problematic and reveals a larger issue with the adaptation.

In the story, Isabella is deceived into marrying Heathcliff, and though initially infatuated with him, she soon realizes she’s been tricked and believes he’s a cruel and evil man. The mistreatment she endures is an early and stark display of Heathcliff’s fury, driven by his desire to punish anyone connected to Cathy’s new life after he feels betrayed by her.

The film portrays Isabella as more of a comedic character. Audiences actually laughed during scenes of her being overly infatuated with Heathcliff, even at something as silly as seeing his gold tooth. He bluntly tells her he doesn’t love her and only wants to marry her to hurt Catherine, and she accepts this treatment. Later, when Nelly visits, Isabella is shown as someone who willingly submits to his control, depicted almost like a captive.

This new information shows the abusive letters, which were copied from a Brontë novel, were actually written as part of a manipulative scheme with Heathcliff, revealing her involvement in his plan.

Looking at it positively, Fennell’s surprising character development could be seen as empowering. By removing Isabella’s role as a victim and portraying her as a willing and active participant, the story gives her back some control. When separated from the problematic source material, the scene with the dog collar isn’t necessarily negative or shameful; it simply depicts consensual interaction.

However, there’s a significant problem: does this change actually empower anyone, or does it simply reinforce the already established, and perhaps idealized, portrayal of Heathcliff? It feels like it mainly serves to highlight this romanticized version of him, as if it’s a carefully constructed image.

The novel’s depiction of Heathcliff is intensely harsh, but Fennell’s adaptation downplays this, presenting his cruelty as a minor issue. It seems more concerned with creating a conventionally attractive, Hollywood-style hero – even adding a superficial detail like a small earring – than with portraying the character’s true nature.

Giving Isabella the full story would mean admitting just how awful Heathcliff truly is. Though romance stories have always had problematic elements, it would be difficult to sell a Valentine’s Day romance when the hero is someone who harms his wife’s pet.

Interestingly, Isabella does find freedom in the original story. After suffering abuse from Heathcliff and being estranged from her family, she ultimately escapes the relationship and spends the rest of her life in London with her son.

Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Cathy captures the spoiled and self-centered personality from the book, which is something many viewers will appreciate. There’s a scene where Cathy physically lashes out at Isabella, and it feels like a way to show that some of the harshness soon to come from Heathcliff is already present in her character.

Honestly, I always felt like the movie took a weird turn when they used Cathy getting pregnant as the reason Heathcliff ran off with Isabella. It wasn’t in the book, and it just felt like they were trying to make Heathcliff seem less awful by blaming it on someone else – and that someone happened to be a woman. It kinda glossed over his own choices, you know?

It’s hard to ignore the criticism surrounding the new adaptation of Wuthering Heights, specifically the decision to not portray Heathcliff as having dark skin, as he’s described in the book.

This detail, like others, was crucial to the story and the heart of the novel. From childhood, Heathcliff was an outcast, mistreated and abused by those who held power. This created a cycle of trauma that repeated itself across generations and deeply influenced who he became, shaping his actions as he lived among the Yorkshire moors.

If Fennell wanted to portray Heathcliff as a dreamy romantic hero, like something from an old-fashioned book cover, she should have gone all in on that idea. Instead, she mixed those lighthearted scenes with moments that still felt connected to the darker, more complex character from Brontë’s original story.

While Fennell’s adaptation of the novel has a certain visual flair, it doesn’t delve deep enough into the story’s core. Though Cathy and Heathcliff share a powerful connection, removing the complex and painful themes leaves the film feeling empty and lacking genuine emotion.

Wuthering Heights is in cinemas now.

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2026-02-17 19:50