‘Wuthering Heights’ Opens With a Scene That Pushed Some Viewers Too Far

Emerald Fennell’s bold reimagining of Wuthering Heights has finally made its theatrical debut, and the numbers are as explosive as the film’s polarizing content. The adaptation, which hit cinemas globally on February 13, is currently on track to secure a massive $80 million opening weekend.

Starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as the iconic star-crossed lovers, the production has left audiences in a state of shock, with many exiting the theater in tears, while others remain deeply divided over the director’s stylistic choices.

Much of the conversation surrounding the film has focused on its visceral opening sequence, which serves as a jarring introduction to the world of the moors. While early marketing for the film, coupled with a soundtrack by Charli XCX, led some to anticipate an overtly e****c interpretation, the initial scenes take a much darker turn.

The film begins in total darkness, accompanied by a sound that many viewers initially mistake for a romantic encounter between the leads. Instead, the audience is confronted with the disturbing sight of a public execution by hanging.

The “shock factor” is heightened by the biological reality of a “death e******n,” which is clearly visible to the gathered crowd. Among the spectators are young versions of Heathcliff, Cathy, and their companion Nelly, played by Hong Chau.

Rather than recoiling in horror, the young Cathy is seen reacting with a mixture of amusement and delight, a choice meant to signal her unconventional and often cruel nature from the very start. Reports from early test screenings suggest that the scene was originally intended to be even more provocative.

In earlier versions, a stern nun watching the execution was supposedly depicted in a state of arousal, with some accounts claiming she fondles the corpse’s visible e******n. Following reports of audience walkouts during these previews, the final theatrical cut was edited to be less explicit, though it remains no less unsettling.

Emerald Fennell has defended the decision to open the movie with such a provocative image, explaining that it sets the stage for a story where arousal and danger are kind of the same thing. She expressed a desire to subvert the typical expectations of a period drama, which are often characterized by pastel colors and a sense of fragrant beauty.

For Fennell, it was essential to demonstrate that the world of the Brontës was a perilous and often bizarre place, stating that it was important that the first thing we see is Cathy, this young girl, seemingly frightened but then actually delighted.

Outside of her work as the tempestuous Cathy, Margot Robbie has been balancing her roles as a leading lady and a powerhouse producer through her company, LuckyChap Entertainment.

She is currently in the early stages of developing a live-action The Sims movie and is rumored to be reuniting with Ryan Gosling for an Ocean’s Eleven prequel. Jacob Elordi, who has transitioned from teen idol to prestige cinema staple, is also earning rave reviews for his performance as the monster in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, which debuted recently.

The film’s supporting cast features Shazad Latif as Edgar Linton and Martin Clunes as a self-destructive Mr. Earnshaw. While the movie has received a mixed critical reception—currently holding a 62% on Rotten Tomatoes—its financial success is undeniable, marking the biggest opening of the year so far. Fans of the book continue to debate Fennell’s decision to excise the second half of the novel, focusing purely on the primary obsession between the two leads.

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