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Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi have failed to impress international critics with their new romantic film Wuthering Heights.
The film, which opens on Thursday in Australia, has been hyped as a sexed-up version of the classic Emily Brontë novel and pairs the fan favourites as star-crossed lovers.
But critics have savaged the two Aussies, declaring that their supposedly 'hot' on-screen affair is a fizzer.
'While strikingly attractive on their own, Elordi and Robbie have zero romantic chemistry,' the Boston Globe said.
With a so-so 68 per cent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 136 reviews, dozens of other reviewers agreed.
'Robbie and Elordi manage merely flickers of chemistry,' complained the Daily Beast, even though the pair engage in plentiful sex scenes.
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi have failed to impress international critics with Wuthering Heights
The film, which opens this week in Australia, has been hyped as a sexed-up version of the classic Emily Brontë novel
The new film is a loose adaptation of Emily Brontë's 1847 novel, which critics have compared to Bridgerton and Fifty Shades of Grey.
Robbie, 35, plays Catherine, who becomes obsessed with orphan Heathcliff (Elordi) after he is brought into her home on the Yorkshire moors.
'Cathy and Heathcliff behave abominably – making any moments of intended emotional or erotic impact fall flat,' Time Out said of the beloved characters.
Daily Mail critic Brian Viner joined in the pile-on: 'Unfortunately... Cathy and Heathcliff are so irredeemably shallow and selfish that I could not have felt less invested in their emotional tumult.'
Still, the film has its fans, with the Hollywood Reporter praising Robbie and Elordi, gushing: 'The leads are captivating and their chemistry sizzles.'
Online magazine Consequence agreed: 'Although "Wuthering Heights" remains a deliciously horny film, it does summon a certain degree of pure romance, especially in the few moments when its leads are able to see past their misunderstandings and actually connect.'
It comes after Elordi, 28, gushed over his co-star during a recent interview, revealing he made sure to keep at least 10 metres' distance from the Barbie actress 'at all times'.
'We have a mutual obsession,' he told US entertainment platform Fandango, as the blonde sat nearby.
With a so-so 68 per cent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 136 reviews, dozens of critics have declared that Robbie and Elorid have 'zero' on screen chemistry
'I think the thing is, regardless of plot or screenplay, if you have the opportunity to share a film set with Margot Robbie, you're going to make sure you're within 5 to 10 metres at all times.
'Watching how she drinks tea, how she eats her food, how she does it. When is it going to slip? When is the thing going to come undone? And, it never comes undone,' he added.
It comes after Robbie admitted she was fearful about shooting Wuthering Heights when she was just three months postpartum and spoke candidly about her steamy scenes.
Following Emerald's saucy epic Saltburn, the actress noted that many viewers are incorrectly expecting overly sizzling scenes.
However, she admitted that some of the more tender moments with her co-star made her 'weak at the knees'.
Speaking to British Vogue, Robbie discussed how she felt stepping back into work just three months after welcoming her son in October 2024 with husband Tom Ackerley - and how Emerald acted to 'relieve her anxiety'.
She said: 'Everyone's expecting this to be very, very raunchy. I think people will be surprised.'
Wuthering Heights premieres in Australian cinemas on Thursday, February 12.
English (US) ·