Wuthering Heights has had many adaptations over the years, from Peter Kosminsky’s 1992 adaptation starring Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes to Andrea Arnold’s 2011 movie starring James Howson and Kaya Scodelario. There are obviously some that remain faithful in the dark and haunting story, while others take a different approach entirely. Fennell’s adaptation, even before its release, has been questioned regarding its faithfulness to Brontë’s novel.

Fennell’s adaptation, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, had a shock ending that surprised many who are fans of the original novel. Instead of having Cathy face Heathcliff one last time on her deathbed, the director kept the two apart during her final moments, unlike the novel, which has Heathcliff and Cathy have one last meeting. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Fennell addressed the shocking and heartbreaking ending and why it was “partly structural” to the relationship:

“There are about three different meetings and three different speeches, and so part of it was consolidating that. But also, we talk a lot about Romeo and Juliet and, obviously, when we meet Isabella, she’s talking about that kind of story and about that missed thing, and I feel so much that Cathy and Heathcliff’s [romance] was about missing each other. And so what I did was I brought a lot of the love forward, and a lot of those really important conversations forward, to give them some time so that it didn’t just happen at the end.”

Another major moment that changed the adaptation was Cathy’s ghost haunting Heathcliff and crying out for him on the moors. Cathy’s spirit is usually seen begging to be reunited with Heathcliff, and even had a song written about the heartbreaking moment in the novel by Kate Bush. Fennell argues that this was also a crucial moment to avoid in her adaptation:

“It begins where it ends and ends where it begins. And that’s the thing about love, and it’s the thing about the book, right? It’s that it’s forever, and it’s cyclical, and so there’s no stop — even when there’s a terrible, sad, tragic stop, it’s not really a stop — because that’s what the book feels so much about. It’s about the depths of human feeling and how it exists in a profound way, not just a physical one. And so, I don’t know, that felt like the right way to end it for me.”

The adaptation has now been released in theaters, and people are jumping at the chance to see yet another rendition of this classic dark and harrowing novel. Its ratings have varied between critics and audiences, with critics giving Wuthering Heights a 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes versus an 84% rating. Some reviews say that “Fennell’s Wuthering Heights makes us feel it all – the pleasure, the agony, the brutality“, while others state that it’s “more of a revisionist reimagining than a faithful adaptation.”

Wuthering Heights is available to watch in theaters now.