The Death of Robin Hood

One thing is for certain: this incarnation of the bow-wielding outlaw is unlike any we have seen before.

Aged, weary and outcast, Robin Hood (Hugh Jackman) roams the pastures of northern England with the sole purpose of staying hidden from those who seek vengeance against him. Many years have passed since the days of Maid Marian and Robin’s band of Merry Men, and he has begun grappling with the morality of his violent acts – not necessarily feeling guilt, but engulfed by a numbness. Gravely injured after a battle he thought would be his last, he is taken to a priory by Little John (Bill Skarsgård) and finds himself presented with one last chance at salvation as he recovers in the care of Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer).

Taking inspiration from the early English ballad titled Robin Hood’s Death, The Death of Robin Hood presents a deconstruction of the famous character, taking the hero and flipping the legend on its head. Director Michael Sarnoski has created a far darker and more honest representation of what Robin Hood might have been like, stealing from wealthy households but in a far more savage environment, suggesting the outlaws were far less heroic and romanticised than the tales might say.

To support this notion, Sarnoski and cinematographer Pat Scola make 1247 England feel like a genuinely unpleasant place to live, rather than the picturesque backdrop of traditional Robin Hood adaptations. One is thrust into a cruel world in the opening 30 minutes of this movie, with a sequence that sharply resembles Robert Eggers’s 2022 film The Northman, in which life in this medieval age is depicted as merely survival of the fittest and a fairly lawless society. In these elements, the film really is a rich tapestry of history and cinema that is incredibly pleasing on the eyes as Robin moves through the stormy darkness towards the light.

Through excellent craftsmanship, the props, make-up, costumes and folk score help bring this world to life. Along with this, the movie doesn’t hold back on graphic violence, with gore aplenty as Robin fights and slays foe after foe, man or child. Jackman gives a raw and compelling performance as a grizzled, repenting hero, wandering the scenery like a wounded animal as he evades those he has aggrieved. It’s a challenging role, but quite easily one of Jackman’s best performances in years. Comer brings her usual class to the table as the prioress, but her character is slightly underwritten throughout, leaving one yearning for more for her.

Where The Death of Robin Hood trips up is in its writing and thus its pacing. Despite its heavy, dark tones and sinisterness that draw one in early on, it soon becomes a slow burn and one that at times becomes difficult to follow, making the burn feel even slower. One will be forgiven for questioning what is actually going on in the plot at points, and this is potentially because the original ballad text has been underdeveloped. Further to this, the pay-off proves unsatisfying after the viewing effort. Unsurprisingly, this might have made for a more effective full-length novel than feature film.

Guy Lambert

The Death of Robin Hood is released nationwide on 4^th September 2026.

Watch the trailer for The Death of Robin Hood here: