Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey

Episode 1304 | ‘Wuthering Heights’ Movie Is NOT What I Expected
Date: February 16, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Allie Beth Stuckey unpacks the new film adaptation of Wuthering Heights and explores what it reveals about current culture’s fascination with dark, obsessive love stories. She examines the impact of such narratives—especially as they’re marketed to young women—on perceptions of romance, relationships, and self-worth, contrasting them with the biblical vision of love. Allie also critiques media influences from novels to music, shares research on the links between romanticized abuse and real-life relationship harm, and draws from scripture to present a Christ-centered alternative.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cultural Climate and Opening Encouragement

[02:50–06:45]

• Allie starts with encouragement rooted in God's sovereignty and love, emphasizing hope amid daily chaos, tragedy, and injustice.

  "God’s eternal plan of redemption is going off without a hitch...That truth would be enough to point to God’s grace, to point to his goodness." (04:00)

• She recognizes the darkness in the world—such as the ongoing fallout from the Epstein files and tragic losses—and urges listeners not to lose heart or become cynical but rather respond to conviction and seek God.

2. Targeting of Young Women by Cultural Narratives

[07:15–09:10]

• Allie expresses concern about "the particular darkness that is targeting young women" through certain romantic narratives.
• She notes the influence of entertainment—romance novels, TV, movies—in shaping women’s desires, choices, and expectations for relationships:

  "Leading them into bad personal decisions, bad political decisions, that lead them into a life of unhappiness…" (07:50)

3. Breakdown of the ‘Wuthering Heights’ Movie

[09:10–13:30]

• Allie summarizes Wuthering Heights—both book and recent movie (starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi)—detailing its themes of obsession, jealousy, class divide, revenge, and manipulation.
• She highlights the movie’s darker, hypersexualized portrayal, describing explicit and even violent aspects, noting this adaptation accentuates unhealthy dynamics:

  "It’s just hyper-sexualized, it seems like, in the movie...it feels more like Fifty Shades of Grey set in the 19th century." (08:50)

• Points out the movie is marketed as the “greatest love story of all time,” with the tagline “Drive Me Mad,” and questions promoting insanity and cruelty as the epitome of romance.

4. Blurred Lines Between On-Screen & Off-Screen Relationships

[13:30–19:00]

• Allie critiques the marketing campaign and actors’ interviews for intentionally blurring reality and fiction.
• Quotes Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi discussing their “mutual obsession” and gestures of romance off-set, suggesting method acting spills into real life:

  Margot Robbie: “I found myself starting to look around to see where [Jacob] was...I felt quite lost, like a kid without their blanket." (16:55)
  Jacob Elordi: "We have a mutual obsession...If you have the opportunity to share a film set with Margot Robbie, you’re gonna make sure you’re within 5 to 10 meters at all times..." (18:32)

• Allie finds their dynamic troubling—not just morally but for how it’s constructed for promotional purposes, luring women to idolize such relationships.

5. Impact of Romantic Media on Young Women

[19:30–33:10]

• Allie expands critique to other media: Twilight, Bridgerton, You (Netflix), Colleen Hoover novels, and Fifty Shades of Grey, all of which romanticize obsession and unhealthy relationship dynamics.
• Points to personal experience and broader evidence:

  "It really does affect the mind of people, married or unmarried, and setting our standards for what romance and love should actually look like." (19:25)

• Suggests these narratives may contribute to women tolerating abusive relationships or harboring unattainable expectations for “exciting” romance.
• Music is also implicated—Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter—songs glorifying jealousy, obsession, and self-destructive love:

  "I get drunk on jealousy, but you’ll come back each time you leave, 'Cause darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream." (Taylor Swift, referenced at 26:00)

6. Academic Research on Media and Relationship Violence

[33:10–37:30]

• Allie cites studies linking consumption of media like Fifty Shades of Grey to increased risk of experiencing stalking, abuse, and coercion.
• She notes normalization of toxic relationships in media is correlated with unhealthy beliefs and real-life experiences of domestic violence.

  "...it created in them a tolerance for that kind of behavior and just an immunity to the red flags and the warning signs…" (31:45)

• Documents that over a quarter of surveyed teens believed it was acceptable for boyfriends to control who their girlfriends associated with.

7. Encouragement for Parental Discernment

[37:30–42:00]

• Allie urges parents, especially of preteens and teens, to scrutinize not only social media but also what their kids read, watch, and listen to.
• Draws from personal upbringing and acknowledges where even “reading” can introduce unhealthy ideas of love.

  "What we fill our mind with is going to shape us in some way." (40:45)

• Advocates for filtering media by asking: Does it expand virtue? Does it give a better or worse idea of what is good, right and true?

8. Biblical Contrast: Lessons from Scripture

[42:00–56:00]

• Allie contrasts cultural portrayals with biblical examples and teachings about love and desire:
  • Samson & Delilah: Unchecked passion leads to manipulation and destruction (43:20)
  • David & Bathsheba: Lust leads to murder and lifelong grief
  • Solomon: Obsessive desire pulls even the wise away from God and into idolatry
• Explores the connection between sexual immorality and idolatry, noting:

  "You could even say that sexual immorality is idolatry. You are idolizing the object of your lust...and also yourself, saying I know better, my desire is more important." (52:00)

9. The Biblical Vision of Love

[56:00–63:30]

• Goes to 1 Corinthians 13 and Song of Solomon, emphasizing love as patient, kind, selfless, enduring, never resentful or irritable—and includes healthy, erotic, romantic love within God’s design.

  "Love is patient. Love is kind. It’s never irritable, it’s never resentful." (56:10)

• Asks women to evaluate whether the men they date or marry display Christlike love—willing to sacrifice, to lead spiritually, to prioritize the other's good.

10. Synthesis and Final Reflections

[63:30–end (~65:45)]

• Allie observes that media’s glamorization of toxic obsession is not harmless: it shapes society, influencing real relationships, expectations, and even broader social health.

  "When we see this glorification of evil and sexual immorality, it’s not proper love at all. It leads to destruction for our own selves, certainly for our daughters, and then it has an effect on society as a whole." (63:45)

• Urges listeners to prize and model biblical, self-giving love over fleeting, self-centered desires depicted in pop culture.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s Sovereignty & Comfort:

  "God’s eternal plan of redemption is going off without a hitch…No matter what circumstance you’re going through…he is in control of all of it." (03:45)

• On the ‘Wuthering Heights’ Obsession:

  "This idea that the greatest love story of all time has to do with insanity and jealousy and bitterness and cruelty and torture and revenge." (13:50)

• On Margot Robbie’s Off-Screen Codependency:

  “I found myself starting to look around to see where [Jacob] was...and I felt like, quite lost. Like a kid without their blanket.” – Margot Robbie (16:55)

• On Romance Novels' Influence:

  "Is this why women tolerate abusive relationships?...while we are simultaneously saying women don't settle, you deserve better...we are also feeding them this stuff and saying, well, it's fine." (25:45)

• Summing Up the Danger:

  "This chips away at our conscience and this chips away at our discernment when we see these glorified depictions of violence." (31:45)

• Biblical Clarity:

  "God is so gracious that in his Word he shows us over and over again—okay, if you do that, things will not go well for you. And I want things to go well for you." (52:45)

• On True, Biblical Love:

  "Love is patient. Love is kind. It’s never irritable, it’s never resentful. I think about that a lot..." (56:15)

Important Timestamps

• 02:50–06:45 — Spiritual encouragement amid chaos
• 09:10–13:30 — Wuthering Heights plot and troubling adaptation
• 16:55 — Margot Robbie describes off-screen codependency
• 18:32 — Jacob Elordi discusses “mutual obsession”
• 19:30–33:10 — Broader media critique (Twilight, music, etc.)
• 33:10–37:30 — Studies: links between romanticized abuse and victimization
• 42:00–56:00 — Lessons from Scripture: Samson, David, Solomon
• 56:00–63:30 — The biblical picture of love

Conclusion

Allie Beth Stuckey’s analysis connects current trends in romantic entertainment—epitomized by the new Wuthering Heights adaptation—to a broader cultural pattern of celebrating dysfunctional passion and abuse as love. She warns of these narratives’ damaging effects, especially on women, and contrasts them with the biblical vision of love: self-sacrificing, patient, and rooted in Christ. Allie urges parents and listeners to exercise discernment, both for their own lives and for the formation of the next generation.