Overview
- A wave of Feb. 10–11 reviews crystallizes a polarized consensus, with some outlets calling the film hollow or miscast and others praising it as audacious and intoxicating.
- Rotten Tomatoes hovered around 72% as of Feb. 11, indicating broadly positive yet divided reactions across critics and early viewers.
- Fennell reframes the story by condensing the narrative to the Cathy–Heathcliff arc and foregrounding eroticism, with contemporary-leaning music from Charli XCX and composer Anthony Willis.
- Praise focuses on lavish production design, striking visuals and a bold directorial vision, while detractors cite emotional thinness and concerns over the leads’ chemistry.
- Casting has prompted debate over Heathcliff’s racial ambiguity and representation, intensifying discussion about how the adaptation interprets the novel’s identities, and industry reports project a strong opening weekend at the box office.