Emerald Fennell's bold foray into Emily Brontë's classic Wuthering Heights gave promise of dramatic scenery, "bodice-ripping" passion and perhaps dark obsessions - and it almost delivers on every front.

 

Cathy Earnshaw (Margot Robbie) lives in Wurthering Heights with her drunken father when, as a young girl, he brings home a quiet boy she names Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi). They grow up together in the dysfunctional household, eventually becoming consumed with love and desire for each other. However Cathy marries a wealthy neighbour, and this is where the passionate pining begins.

 

Many are familiar with Brontë's classic novel, but it can't be made clear enough that Fennel's cinematic version is an adaptation. It's a step away from the literary favourite, leaning into all its visual potential. It is undoubtedly stunning - moody and misty moors hiding mysterious deeds, a gothic Wuthering Heights house that's truly the stuff of nightmares, and then the contrast of the luscious Linton mansion, gilded with, well, wealth.

 

The film delivers on the sometimes sexy, sometimes obsessive, sometimes romantic images of long skirts in the rain, forbidden kisses (and more), and wanting looks, it's maybe not quite the level of daring I expected. The film leans heavily on Cathy and Heathcliff's relationship, but perhaps not as far into the physical side as one may expect.

 

The evolution of the characters was a favourite feature of mine - especially Cathy's housekeeper Nelly Dean. All become such tortured souls, their decisions often feel torturous to the audience. While each float between good and evil versions of themselves, it makes for unexpected viewing while leaving you unsure whether you love or hate certain characters.

 

The music is a character in itself, making the artsy backdrop even more striking. It wraps up what becomes a combination of drama, romance and tragedy a truly cinematic event.

 

Wuthering Heights is decadent, striking and emotionally torturous, but perhaps doesn't quite hit the soaring expectations audiences walk in with.