‘Beautifully filmed’ period drama now on BBC iPlayer | Films | Entertainment

A period drama inspired by one of Britain’s most celebrated female writers has been hailed as “enchanting and captivating”, and is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Emily, released in 2022, is a fictionalised biographical drama depicting the life of Wuthering Heights author Emily Brontë, portrayed by Netflix’s Sex Education star Emma Mackey, as a rebellious and introverted outsider navigating family ties, romance and creative independence.

The film centres on her intense, imagined love affair with William Weightman and her complicated relationship with her siblings as they carved out their paths in the literary world. Boasting an impressive ensemble cast, the production also marks the directorial debut of Australian actress Frances O’Connor. Emma Mackey’s lead performance garnered widespread acclaim, earning her the EE Rising Star Award at the BAFTAs that same year.

The film has attracted glowing reviews online, with one viewer writing: “Wonderful film. Used to love these old English literary classic kind of films in my teens/early 20s but thought I grew out of them. This has definitely reignited the love. In my early 30s now and this was just brilliant.”

Another commented: “This is a beautifully imagined portrait of Emily Brontë. It is apparently a fictionalised account designed to illustrate and explain a genius who lived far from the cultural and literary centres of England, but who nonetheless succeeded in writing one of the most epic and well-read English novels.

“I found this characterisation enchanting and captivating. The script, acting, and cinematography are outstanding. I found the movie beautiful and fascinating!”

A third added: “I absolutely loved this movie – tragic but exhilarating all at the same time. Shows how people are people no matter what era or culture. There’s the typical controlling family members, but shows how love in different forms can free oneself and hold one prisoner, as well. A must-see flick.”

“Beautifully filmed movie, with a wonderful score and a powerhouse performance by Emma Mackey. Having read Wuthering Heights several times, I loved many of the scenes that referenced the novel,” said another.

Yet some viewers felt the film fell short of expectations, with one critic noting: “Not a bad movie but it doesn’t do much. They took pieces we know of Emily and created a fiction story that doesn’t offer an excuse for this movie to really exist. It’s not exactly a fun ride to excuse the pointlessness either. You’re left with a movie that didn’t do much whilst watching it or afterwards, if you can even remember you watched it.”

Another remarked: “Disappointing. The true story of the Brontë family/Brontë sisters would have made a much more interesting, moving film. I guess you still need a soppy entirely fictional, nonsense romance to sell a movie to the powers that be today. I think the Brontë sisters would be horrified by this pandering. And I think Emma Mackey was a poor choice.”

Another review drew attention to the historical errors, stating: “I get that Emily is a ‘reimagining’ and not a biopic but there were two screaming historical inaccuracies that I found even more irritating than the scratchy discordant music throughout this boring film: Emily Brontë wrote Wuthering Heights under the pseudonym Ellis Bell. The other Brontë sisters also had to pretend to be men to get published, Anne as Acton Bell and Charlotte as Currer Bell.

“Charlotte’s Jane Eyre was published first in October 1847, with her younger sister’s Wuthering Heights in the December. I wonder why in a film about a woman surrounded by women, produced/directed by a woman, this was totally misrepresented?”

Emily is now available on BBC iPlayer.

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