SPOILERS are ahead for the end of Wuthering Heights.
Even though Wuthering Heights is placed on the 2026 movie schedule in a slot previously held for light romantic comedies to watch with your boo on Valentine’s Day, if you’re reading this, you know that the Emerald Fennell movie based on Emily Brontë's novel is more of a tragedy than anything else. But during CinemaBlend’s Wuthering Heights interviews, we did ask Margot Robbie and the writer/director about how things end and what could have been if the couple’s story wasn't as gloomy. Let’s get into it:
What Would Cathy's Last Words To Heathcliff Be?
At the end of Wuthering Heights, Cathy goes into a deep depression when Heathcliff marries Isabella. She locks herself in her room, starves herself, and becomes septicemic following a miscarriage that occurs somewhere in the middle of her intense isolation. Ultimately, she dies, and by the time Heathcliff gets to her, she’s already dead. But what would Cathy have said if he made it before her death? Here’s what Robbie thinks:
Knowing Cathy, it would have been like, ‘I hate you, I hate you,’ which always means, ‘I love you.’
Sounds about right! Throughout the movie, Cathy and Heathcliff have a tumultuous romance stained by obsession and lust. While they both loved the other since they met as kids, a fit of miscommunication led Heathcliff to run away for years and Cathy to marry Edgar Linton, whilst also feeling deserted by her childhood “pet”. As Robbie shared with us, she thinks Cathy would have been a bit bitter toward Heathcliff until the end, claiming she hates him, which she thinks directly translates to “I love you.”
And, What Happens To Heathcliff After Cathy's Death?
When CinemaBlend’s own Hannah Saulic interviewed the folks who madeWuthering Heights, she also spoke to writer/director Emerald Fennell about the ending, asking what she imagines happening next to Heathcliff after seeing his love die. Here’s what she said:
It's always funny to imagine what people do when you call cut. I think the truth of it is, that the Heathcliff of the movie and the Heathcliff of the book may be the same, which is that they're just emotionally destroyed. And that emotional destruction bleeds out into other people's lives, you know? That's the thing is that there is no life after Cathy, and that's what he says in the book. And that's the case here. And so, whatever it is, it will be… it will be a kind of half-life, I think.
Now, for some more context. In the book, Cathy’s death occurs halfway through the storyline, and the rest of it focuses on Heathcliff dealing with the fallout of her death as it affects the next generation of Earnshaws and Lintons. Since there are quite a few notable Wuthering Heights changes from the source material, it’s interesting to hear from Fennell how she sees her specific iteration affecting Heathcliff going forward.
You can also check out what Fennell had to say about deciding upon the movie’s R-rating to us, along with our Wuthering Heights review. Following the movie’s tragic ending, perhaps let it be a reminder to tell your loved ones about your feelings for them today.
