Robin Hood remains a legendary figure in literature and cinema, one revisited countless times by innumerable storytellers. It goes without saying that if someone chooses to tackle the story of Robin Hood and his merry band of thieves, they’d better be coming at it from an angle audiences have never quite seen before.
With The Death of Robin Hood, writer/director Michael Sarnoski delivers a much different version of the valiant English folk hero, one who’s older, beaten down, and disillusioned with his own myth. The film follows a lonely, haggard Robin Hood (Hugh Jackman) as he joins up with his old comrade Little John (Bill Skarsgård), who now goes by the name Edward, for one last fight against a group of men who have usurped John/Edward’s farm from him. When the battle leaves Robin Hood on the verge of death, he’s taken to an abbey on a remote island, where he’s nursed back to health by Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer), a caring abbess who not only heals his wounds, but spurs him to try and find redemption in the twilight of his violent life. As Robin Hood struggles to adjust to a quiet life of servitude on the island, he finds himself at war with the ghosts of his past.
The Death of Robin Hood Is A Brutal Fable That Works
Tales of Robin Hood usually involve thrilling adventures and swashbuckling action, with all of it wrapped up with the passion and romance of fighting for the meek against the powerful and corrupt. But there is no romance to be found in The Death of Robin Hood, no wicked kings or crooked sheriffs to oppose. When Robin Hood does go into battle in the first act, it’s against other bandits and villagers who are just trying to survive, or in some cases, get their revenge on the famous killer who slew their kin ages ago. Many viewers will inevitably find themselves comparing Jackman’s performance here to his marvelous take on X-Men’s Wolverine in Logan, where he also played a self-loathing hero who grew to hate the stories of his past triumphs.
The Death Of Robin Hood also does not shy away from the stark reality of its own violence. When Robin shoots his arrow, it doesn’t bloodlessly land into his foe’s chest for them to clutch and scream theatrically as they fall, quickly forgotten to die off camera. Instead, Jackman’s Robin Hood seems to favor head shots, arrowheads sticking out of his victims’ eye sockets with gory realism that the camera deliberately lingers on. Men, women, children, and in one case, even a poor rabbit, are subjected to vicious mutilation. Those who want more realism in their medieval tales will most definitely be satisfied here, but don’t expect the film to revel in the glory of it.
The Death Of Robin Hood Features Amazing Performances From Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer
Instead of action, Jackman’s Robin Hood searches for absolution and to free himself of his own dark legacy. Throughout, he is constantly approached by people who, unaware of who he is, begin to recount for him the tales of the legendary outlaw Robin Hood. Robin often gruffly debunks the stories, not only to dispel the falsehoods, but to keep them from being weaponized to beget more violence. All the while, Sister Brigid does her best to encourage his recovery, both physically and spiritually, and the bond they form gives The Death of Robin Hood an emotional weight that can make the viewer feel as though they’re witnessing a fable about a monster who regained his soul. In this way, the movie separates itself from other adaptations that missed the mark.
Comer portrays Sister Brigid with the quiet dignity and power of a woman who has endured innumerable trials and tribulations, and has come out of them all with a sense of peace and a desire to help others that humbles the jaded and directionless Robin Hood, a Maid Marian who knows how to stitch a wound. The once-ruthless archer is also touched by the wisdom of an unnamed Leper (Murray Bartlett) who has dedicated himself to serving Sister Brigid and the residents of the abbey in his final days. Bartlett absolutely steals the show in his scenes, his gruff instructions and advice betraying a deep compassion for the people he cares for. Indeed, some of Jackman’s finest moments in the whole film are when he’s playing opposite Bartlett’s benevolent Leper.
The Death of Robin Hood Has A Lot Of Heart, But Little Action
One major drawback to The Death of Robin Hood is an acute lack of the epic battles that one would expect from this type of story. Once Robin Hood arrives on the island, the story’s conflict becomes largely an internal one. He wants nothing more than to abandon his past entirely (initially, he even tells everyone at the abbey his name is Randolph). Most of the dramatic tension comes from his interactions with those who may or may not know his true past, and how Robin Hood chooses to handle this: Does he resort to violence to silence them and preserve his cover, or does he plead with them honestly and openly as a changed man?
While this is the stuff of great drama, it’s not much for those who expect Robin Hood to save the day with a combination of captivating archery and swordplay (those looking for that could still check out the 2018 version starring Taron Egerton). Still, for those willing to see a film about a bad man doing the hard work of redeeming himself, The Death of Robin Hood offers a moving reminder that even in the darkest depths of one’s life, there is always a chance to change.
- Release Date
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June 19, 2026
- Runtime
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123 Minutes
- Director
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Michael Sarnoski
- Writers
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Michael Sarnoski
- Producers
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Aaron Ryder, Andrew Swett, Alexander Black
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Jodie Comer
Sister Brigid
- Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer give excellent performances amid an impeccable cast
- Stunning visuals of the Irish countryside
- Robin Hood’s quest for redemption will resonate
- Little action outside of the first act
- A slower-paced film than some fans of Robin Hood might expect