Jacob Elordi takes on ‘hyper-sexualised’ role in Saltburn director’s Wuthering Heights – with ‘visible erection’ and BDSM
This explicit direction is consistent with Fennell’s previous work on Saltburn, a film known for its stylised hedonism
By Callum Wells
Jacob Elordi is teaming up again with director Emerald Fennell for her bold new adaptation of Wuthering Heights – and early reactions suggest it’s every bit as provocative as their previous collaboration, Saltburn.
The film, which stars Elordi as Heathcliff alongside Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw, recently underwent its first test screening in Dallas. A World Of Reel report describes the response as mixed, with some calling it “aggressively provocative and tonally abrasive”.
Fennell’s version takes a very unorthodox approach to Emily Brontë’s gothic classic. While the story remains focused on the volatile romance between Heathcliff and Catherine amid 19th-century moorland tensions, the film reportedly features a heavy dose of “hyper-sexualised” imagery, including scenes that push far beyond traditional interpretations.
Multiple moments of self-pleasure
One of the most shocking moments reportedly occurs right at the start. A public hanging devolves into grotesque absurdity when the condemned man ejaculates mid-execution, sparking an orgiastic frenzy among onlookers – including a nun who fondles his “visible erection”. Medical explanations exist for such “death erections”, but it’s a detail rarely, if ever, depicted on screen.
The film also reportedly includes a female character restrained with horse reins for a BDSM-style scene, multiple moments of self-pleasure, and even suggestive close-ups during baking scenes.
This explicit direction is consistent with Fennell’s previous work on Saltburn, a film known for its stylised hedonism.
Just in time for Valentine’s weekend
Though Wuthering Heights has never been a textually queer story, it’s been subject to queer readings, especially around themes of repression and forbidden love. Some scholars have speculated about Brontë’s sexuality, pointing to the novel’s intense exploration of identity and the author’s use of the male pseudonym Ellis Bell.
Alongside Elordi and Robbie, the cast includes Hong Chau (The Menu), Alison Oliver (Saltburn), Shazad Latif (Penny Dreadful), and Owen Cooper as young Heathcliff.
Warner Bros. is slated to release Wuthering Heights on 13 February 2026 – just in time for a Valentine’s weekend that promises to be far from traditional.