Cinema audiences are emerging emotionally wrecked after the long-awaited release of Wuthering Heights, with viewers admitting they were left sobbing by the film’s devastating storyline.
The bold new big-screen interpretation — directed by Emerald Fennell — officially hit cinemas yesterday and has already been crowned by fans as a serious contender for “movie of the year.”
Social media quickly filled with emotional reactions as stunned viewers confessed they had “cried their eyes out”, with many admitting they hadn’t expected to be so deeply affected.
Based on Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, the sweeping period drama stars Margot Robbie, 35, and Jacob Elordi, 28, as doomed lovers Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff.
Set against the haunting backdrop of the wild Yorkshire moors, the film delves into the intense, obsessive and ultimately destructive relationship between the two iconic characters.
While the Daily Mail will not spoil the ending, viewers are unlikely to be surprised by the outcome — the tragic story has been studied in classrooms for generations and adapted countless times before.
Even so, that familiarity did little to soften the emotional blow.
As the final credits rolled, audiences rushed online to share their reactions, with many admitting they were overwhelmed by the raw intensity of the film.
One viewer wrote:
“Wuthering Heights — movie of the year.”
Another confessed:
“I did not expect to love this film… I cried my eyes out.”
Others were equally candid:
“And so what if I sobbed for the last 20 minutes of Wuthering Heights?”
“IDC what anyone says, I loved Wuthering Heights so much.”
“I think the movie is like one big fanfic — and honestly, I loved it.”
Some fans even revealed the film had inspired them to finally finish reading the original novel.
“I just watched Wuthering Heights and it convinced me to finally read the book,” one wrote.
“If the film made me this emotional, I can’t imagine the state I’ll be in after the novel.”
Speaking ahead of the release, Emerald Fennell admitted she hoped audiences would have such a visceral response.
“I want lots of snogging in the cinema,” she told Time Out.
“There will also be people who have to be carried out because they’re crying so much.
“I love movies where people have a physical reaction — screaming, laughing, crying, gasping. I want that connected experience.”
However, the Oscar-winning director — who previously won the Academy Award for Promising Young Woman — has also warned fans that her version is a loose, sensual reinterpretation, rather than a faithful adaptation.
She described the film as “filing the novel down to its pretty and sexy bits.”
Meanwhile, Margot Robbie recently revealed she was not initially meant to star in the film at all.
Appearing on The Graham Norton Show, the actress admitted she had originally joined the project solely as a producer before deciding to audition for the role of Catherine.
“I just threw my hat into the ring,” she explained.
“I’ve always wanted to be one of Emerald’s actors — and fortunately, she felt the same way.”
Margot also opened up about her early struggles with dialect coaching, revealing she was once told her Queensland accent was “awful to listen to.”
Her co-star Jacob Elordi — who previously worked with Fennell on Saltburn — joined her on the sofa as she praised the director’s vision.
“Emerald really focused on the feeling the book gave her when she first read it at 14,” Margot said.
“She channels that raw emotional experience. It’s an interpretation, not an adaptation — and in my opinion, one of the greatest love stories of all time.”
Judging by the reaction pouring out of cinemas, audiences appear to agree.
