By Joel Brogan

The latest adaptation of Emily Brontes “Wuthering Heights” was released in cinemas on the 13th of February. This is Emerald Fennell's 4th feature length film. Fennell has stated that her imagining of the story reflects her experience of the novel, resulting in a unique retelling of Wuthering Heights.

Fennell’s work is known for including vibrant and interesting cinematography, erotic set pieces, and interesting soundtracks. It stars Oscar nominated actor Jacob Elordi and Golden Globe winning actress Margot Robbie. Will Emeralds vision of a cheekier “Wuthering Heights” come home? Or will it get lost in the moors?

The beginning of the film portrays the core themes for the rest of the story. The camera pans to a public hanging, which was commonplace throughout the Victorian era. During this scene the two main love interests are introduced: Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff. Cathy's father Mr. Earnshaw observes the level of poverty that Heathcliff is living in and decides to adopt him.

Throughout the first five minutes the audience experience's themes of destructive love and social class.

The story follows the main characters as they mature into adulthood. Mr Earnshaw’s destructive actions lead to the family becoming increasingly poorer. As the sexual tension between the lead characters builds,we see various scenes depicting Cathy's longing. Kathy is persuaded by Mr Earnshaw to marry rich aristocrat, Mr Linton.

Cathy gives up her love for Heathcliff and marries Mr Linton. The rest of the story follows themes of longing. Heathcliff and Cathy have an affair where they engage in sexual intercourse, something which is not included in the book. The film ends in tragedy and leaves us with a convincing performance from Jacob Elordi.

The movie feels like it's trying too hard to be erotic and artistic. It strays too far from its subject matter. One of the conversational points of the promotional content is that the title uses quotation marks. This may beEmerald’s re-imagining of the film, but it just appears cheap and raunchy.

The film loses a large amount of the build-up and tension of the book. It's hard to really connect with the two main leads as the chemistry sometimes falters between the characters.

The set design and soundtrack are very impressive. Suzie Davis put together the set design and uses a mesh of different textures to create a light yet sinister tone. The films cinematographer, Linus Sandgren, does an amazing job with a large amount of visually appealing shots.

Charli XCX’s soundtrack makes a statement. A loud, brooding sound fits in well with the subject matter. A highlight on the soundtrack is ‘House’, which features John Cale. His deep voice adds a contrast to the song, which is amazing for the first song in the film.

Jacob Elordi made a decent attempt at a northern accent. Martin Clunes emotive performance as Mr. Earnshaw and Alison Olivers innocent performance as Mary Linton deserve to be credited.

Overall, Emerald Fennell's version of “Wuthering Heights” fails to meet the expectations that were set out. A disappointing, sexually charged swing of what many consider to be one of the best novels of the last 300 years. It has little to no care for its subject matter. The artistry on show like the production, sound, and filmmaking are to be commended. The acting is passible. If you're a fan of the production side of filmmaking, and enjoy Jacob Elordi's sharp jawline, then it may be worth your time. Otherwise? It’s drifting in the moors next to Kathy, similarly lost and confused.

Wuthering Heights - Lost in the moors?