5 Best 'Wuthering Heights' Adaptations to Watch After Emerald Fennell's Movie, Ranked by IMDb
From the gold standard of 1939 to Peter Kosminsky's most accurate version.
Emerald Fennell's adaptation of Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, has piqued the interest of even those who have never read Emily Brontë's novel.
Whatever your opinion of this version, after watching it, you'll want to see other adaptations to see what Heathcliff and Catherine were like.
5. 'Wuthering Heights', 2011
IMDb Score: 6.0/10
Andrea Arnold's Wuthering Heights is the grittier, more visually stunning adaptation, focusing on social injustice.
For the first time, Heathcliff is played by a Black actor, and Kaya Scodelario perfectly embodies the book's Catherine. However, that's where the similarities to the novel end. Arnold excised most of the dialogue and action, focusing instead on physicality and awkward silences.
The first half of the movie plunges you into the grim, everyday life of the moorland, capturing the book's depressing tone while stripping away its Gothic mystery.
4. 'Wuthering Heights', 1992
IMDb Score: 6.6/10
Peter Kosminsky's movie is perhaps the most faithful adaptation. It was the first to include both parts of the novel, featuring Cathy and Hareton. Filmed on location in the authentic Yorkshire moors, the film features music by Ryuichi Sakamoto and a voice-over by Sinéad O'Connor.
For Ralph Fiennes, playing Heathcliff was a breakthrough role – after the premiere, Spielberg cast him in Schindler's List. However, Juliette Binoche's dual role as Catherine and her daughter posed a problem.
Because of this, her onscreen chemistry with Heathcliff is unconvincing – to the audience, mother and daughter are literally the same person.
3. 'Wuthering Heights', 1967
IMDb Score: 6.6/10
The 1967 miniseries Wuthering Heights is a true ghost – the only surviving copy is in black and white.
Ian McShane delivers the most demonic portrayal of Heathcliff – no surprise, given that the movie was directed by Peter Sasdy, a master of horror. There's plenty of genuine dread, and the howling wind serves as a soundtrack.
Unlike many adaptations, the series covers both parts of the novel and does not ignore the secondary characters.
2. 'Wuthering Heights', 1939
IMDb Score: 7.5/10
William Wyler's Wuthering Heights, starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon, is a recognized classic of Hollywood's Golden Age and a benchmark adaptation.
Olivier's Oscar-winning performance set the standard for all future Heathcliffs, from Ralph Fiennes to Tom Hardy. Like many, Wyler ignored the second half of the novel but added Lockwood as the narrator and developed Nelly's character arc.
This version changed the perception of the novel forever, transforming a brutal tale of revenge into a fateful melodrama and setting the tone for all subsequent adaptations.
1. 'Wuthering Heights', 2009
IMDb Score: 7.5/10
Starring Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley, 2009's Wuthering Heights is one of the most famous adaptations of Brontë's novel, but also the loosest one. The creators ruthlessly cut key scenes – there's no encounter with a ghost at the window, and the confessional conversation with Nelly is missing.
However, this version has an undeniable advantage: Hardy and Riley. Their chemistry is so powerful that it literally burns onto the screen. It's no surprise – the actors met on set, fell in love, and started a family.
Their scenes together are filled with genuine passion and tension, making Wuthering Heights worth watching just to witness true love blossoming on screen.
