Can’t Stop Thinking About "Wuthering Heights"? Stream These Films Next
Still nursing a Heathcliff hangover? These films deliver the same mix of yearning and chaos – queue for your next movie night.
If you recently watched director Emerald Fennell’s (admittedly divisive) “Wuthering Heights” – an adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel of the same name, and you’re feeling… emotionally winded, you’re not alone. The story has a very particular energy: gothic mansions, windswept moors, impossible love, questionable life choices. One might consider it an early iteration of the “I can fix him” storyline – except you absolutely cannot, and everyone ends up ruined anyway.
So, if you're still wandering around thinking about Jacob Elordi’s Heathcliff like he’s just left the room, or Margot Robbie’s Cathy (who looks that amazing in the rain?) Here are some films and series that capture the same mix of doomed romance, slow-burn longing, and “did they really just do that?” drama.
Get comfortable, grab a blanket, and enjoy your next descent into atmospheric obsession.
Anna Karenina (2012)
Where to watch: Apple TV+
Keira Knightley, the queen of the period drama, stars in a boldly theatrical take on Tolstoy. Anna Karenina unfolds almost entirely inside a fantastical stage world – a very cool choice by director Joe Wright and writer Tom Stoppard, who turn high society’s hypocrisies into literal theatre. Knightley is captivating as Anna, Jude Law is quietly devastating as Karenin, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson swans around as Vronsky with just the right amount of pretty arrogance. A love triangle you can’t take your eyes off.
Atonement (2007)
Where to watch: Paramount+
Keira Knightley, again! If the first thing that springs to mind at the mention of Atonement is Knightley in that green dress… well, same. The film also delivers the brand of gut-wrenching heartbreak that feels mildly luxurious, and James McAvoy smoulders like a man allergic to expressing feelings directly. It’s sweeping, romantic and devastating, and, for many of us, the first big screen introduction to future superstar Saoirse Ronan.
Bridgerton (2020–)
Where to watch: Netflix
Not technically a film, but a sexy period drama if ever there was one. The perennially lauded Bridgerton is equal parts romance and scandal and intrigue and star-crossed lovers. Regency fanfiction in the hands of Shonda Rhimes – sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Where to watch: Apple TV+
Before Timmy Chalamet was Marty Supreme, he was a besotted student in Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of Call Me By Your Name. If "Wuthering Heights" depicts an eternal winter, Call Me By Your Name is high summer in Italy, co-starring Armie Hammer, and depicting the kind of cosmos-altering first love that shapes your whole life. Adapted from André Aciman’s novel, shot sensually and sensitively, and will be one you’ll think about long after the credits roll.
Far From the Madding Crowd (2015)
Where to watch: Disney+
You didn’t think we’d get through this list without a Carey Mulligan appearance? Far From the Madding Crowd features "Wuthering Heights"-adjacent country fields and years-spanning romantic tension. It’s a sweeping romance with class examinations at its core – though slightly fewer emotional casualties than the Brontës ever allowed – and Matthias Schoenaerts. What more could we want?
Jane Eyre (2011)
Where to watch: Binge
Yes, technically the source material for this film was written by another Brontë sister (Charlotte), but the family resemblance is strong. Jane Eyre has everything you crave post-"Wuthering Heights": a gloomy estate, a mysterious employer, and an all-round brooding energy you could bottle and sell. Mia Wasikowska’s titular Jane is fixed with a determined and quiet resolve, while Michael Fassbender’s Mr Rochester stares out of windows like it’s a competitive sport. Queue on a rainy night.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover (2022)
Where to watch: Netflix
For anyone who found themselves wondering “What if the moors had more kissing?”, Lady Chatterley's Lover is a lush escape into nature, desire, and the odd shirtless gardening moment. Emma Corrin and Jack O’Connell bring a sincerity that lifts the story beyond scandal – their chemistry turning lust into something almost devotional. It’s indulgent and surprisingly moving.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
Where to watch: MUBI
If you wish "Wuthering Heights" had less yelling and more smouldering, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is perfection. Two women, an island, glances that will be studied for decades to come, and one of the most beautifully made love stories of the past decade, starring Adèle Haenel and Noémie Merlant.
Rebecca (2020)
Where to watch: Netflix
If you love a big spooky house and a romance overshadowed by very bad vibes, Rebecca (based on the 1931 mystery thriller novel by Daphne du Maurier) is your next stop. It’s glossy, eerie, and full of low-lit corridors, the unspoken past hangs over everything. Lily James and Armie Hammer touch, and the always excellent Kristin Scott Thomas is suitably sinister as Mrs Danvers. The 1940 Hitchcock version is also incredible viewing, if you can get your hands on it.
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