After spending more than a decade as an actor and writer, writer/director Emerald Fennell truly broke out with the release of her Oscar-winning revenge thriller, "Promising Young Woman." Since then, Fennell has helmed two more feature films, building a reputation for increasingly provocative, stylized (and controversial) projects.
After "Promising Young Woman" came "Saltburn," and seeing as her newly-released movie, "Wuthering Heights" is the film of the moment right now, we figured now was as good a time as any to briefly look back over her films and see which one film fans have loved the most (you probably won't be surprised by which one comes out on top). Here's Emerald Fennell's three films ranked by Rotten Tomatoes audience score.
Emerald Fennell's films ranked by Rotten Tomatoes audience score
'Wuthering Heights' (2026)
Emeral Fennell's new "Wuthering Heights" adaptation feels, to me, like the director's most divisive watch yet, so I was unsurprised to learn it was also her lowest-rated project, too.
Pitched by Warner Bros. as "an epic tale of lust, love and madness" and a "bold and original imagining" of Emily Brontë's beloved Gothic novel, this hyper-stylized movie omits (or twists) elements of the original story. Similar to most adaptations of the book, it zooms in on the relationship between Catherine Earnshaw (Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi).
It trades heavily on its maximalist presentation and distinct tone, and while this vibrant, sexed-up spin on the text might have worked for some — it looks to have done well at the box office — there are fans out there who didn't appreciate Fennell's take on the text (myself included).
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78%
"Wuthering Heights" is in theaters now
'Saltburn' (2023)
Released on Prime Video just in time to upend countless family Christmas movie nights in December 2023, "Saltburn" transports viewers to Oxford University for a "Talented Mr. Ripley"-esque tale of ruthless manipulation. There, we meet struggling student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan), who is sucked into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi).
Felix invites him to stay with his family at Saltburn, the Cattons' luxurious ancestral home, for the summer. What follows is a lavish, dark, and debauched thriller, one that enthralled some viewers and grossed out others.
"Saltburn" fared better with critics than "Wuthering Heights," by some margin, but it only just edges out Fennell's third feature by one point on the Popcornmeter.
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79%
Watch "Saltburn" on Prime Video now
'Promising Young Woman' (2020)
Emerald Fennell's revenge thriller "Promising Young Woman" earned the writer-director widespread acclaim and an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. It's also the most well-liked movie of Fennell's filmography on Rotten Tomatoes, holding far higher ratings from critics and fellow filmgoers alike.
If you've not caught it before, "Promising Young Woman" introduces us to Cassie Thomas (Carey Mulligan), a medical school dropout haunted by a traumatic event from her past: her best friend was raped and subsequently took her own life.
By day, Cassie works at a coffee shop, but by night, she punishes predatory men, pretending to be drunk and allowing herself to be taken home by predatory men, only to confront them.
A chance encounter with a former classmate reveals that the perpetrator is due to be married, and sees Cassie set out to get revenge on the people connected to the crime and subsequent cover-up.
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87%
Watch "Promising Young Woman" on Prime Video now
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