LAST UPDATE | 12 Feb

Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie as Cathy. Alamy Alamy

THE LATEST ADAPTATION of Wuthering Heights attempts to combine high drama, gory imagery and electronic music – and the reviews at the Irish premiere this week were just as mixed.

The new twist on the 19th-century classic novel is helmed by Emerald Fennell – and there’s been an intense discourse over the Saltburn director’s approach to the material ever since the project was announced two years ago. 

This might just be the first adaptation of a Brontë novel to feature two sun-soaked Australian leads yearning in the English countryside.

A-listers Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein, the aforementioned Saltburn) and Margot Robbie (Wolf of Wall Street, I Tonya, Barbie) star opposite each other in the Yorkshire-set tale of love, possession and revenge. 

The Journal headed along to the Irish premiere of the movie at the Stella in Rathmines this week. There was a mix of delight and disappointment among viewers at the venue’s bar afterwards.

Eoghan (37) said that the characters were believable, but Elordi’s Yorkshire accent “could do with a bit of work”.

“He sounded like someone from Emmerdale,” he said.

But listen, when you look like that, it doesn’t really matter.

Isha (24) also felt Elordi’s performance left a lot to be desired.

“Jacob did a pretty good job, but his facial expressions didn’t quite have the range required,” she said.

Isha enjoyed the film on the whole, but she felt some parts were inauthentic.

“There were some scenes I felt took me out of the story,” she said, referencing a shot where Heathcliff is riding his horse in front of a luminous red sky, which gave the appearance of being shot in front of a green screen.

A still of Cathy and Heathcliff Alamy Alamy

Robbie’s performance garnered universal praise, but some viewers felt the casting of the 35-year-old wasn’t quite right.

Mary, who is in her 60s, said:

To be honest, [Robbie] looked a little old for him, but I thought she was superb.

Kevin (70) said that despite finding Robbie “a bit old” for the role, her acting was top-notch and she “jumped off the screen”.

He enjoyed how different the adaptation was to the book, which he read decades ago.

“[The book] was very Victorian, very dark. It wasn’t very sexy,” Kevin said.

“This was different. Having said that, the kernel of the story was the same.”

Noelleen (47), who studied the book for her Leaving Cert, felt the film drifted too far from the original story.

“In the book, Heathcliff looks for her, finds her, calls her name on the moors … but they were living next door to each other for the whole movie,” she said.

“They were only short of looking at the Ring Doorbell.”

Not sexy enough?

Tommy said he was slightly disappointed and “wanted more” from the actors.

“I liked the movie around them, but I didn’t necessarily buy the two of them together,” he said.

It felt like they were in a different movie to everyone else.

Tommy also thought the film was “not sexy enough”.

The shocking opening scene suggests a “psychosexual narrative”, he said, “but then it doesn’t follow through”.

Conor said he found the film “a little bit too long”, but he enjoyed it more than he expected, considering he doesn’t watch many period dramas.

“They’re trying to hint at these big themes and these deep meanings that I don’t think are quite there. Yet, it’s very entertaining,” he said.

“I loved the cinematography and the costuming. The sense of style and visual flair was amazing,” 

He said Cork-born actor Alison Oliver was “brilliant” as Isabella.

“It’s obviously really cool to see an Irish actor in the mix in a film like this. That novelty never wears off for me,” said Conor.

The film was scored by Anthony Willis, who also worked on Saltburn.

Hyperpop artist Charli XCX contributed a full album of songs she wrote specially for the project.

Charli XCX at Wuthering Heights premiere Alamy Alamy

A montage of Cathy’s new life at Mr Linton’s house is set to Charli XCX’s Chains of Love, which was arguably more akin to a TikTok fan edit than a film sequence. But the duality seemed to land with most viewers.

“Her take on modern music with the contrast of a period piece gives it a real edge,” said Conor.

Natasha (24) “absolutely loved it” and wants to see the film a second time.

She was particularly impressed by the actors who play Heathcliff and Cathy as children, Owen Cooper (Adolescence) and Charlotte Mellington.

Eileen (25) said she enjoyed the rugged landscapes and, having not read the book, the unpredictable ending.

“It’s something different to what you’re used to,” she said.

The movie goes on wide release on Friday, just in time for Valentine’s Day.