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'The Death of Robin Hood' Review

Release Date: 06/19/26 [Cinemas]

Genre: Action. Adventure. Drama.

MPAA: Rated R.

Distributor: A24.

The Verdict: A Must-See


Michael Sarnoski’s take on the Robin Hood legend works well, and frankly, that is its problem. His new film is filled with fog and bleakness, and Hugh Jackman’s Robin Hood is old, battered, and weary, skulking through the moors as if he were walking through the afterlife already. The character of Robin Hood has been told and told again throughout the decades of cinema as the ultimate anti-hero. He’s brash, witty, charming, and his adventures are, for better or worse, a great time. 


Whether the cinematic public was asking for or needed an updated version of this beloved outlaw is debatable. What is certain is that Sarnoski has zero interest in meeting any expectations set by prior iterations. This Robin Hood is indeed a villain. Does he deserve salvation or redemption? That is the question in The Death of Robin Hood. This quandary is why this film is a satisfying cinematic experience, even if it isn’t the routine Robin Hood we’ve been programmed to expect. 


Hugh Jackman’s Robin echoes his portrayal of Logan - he is old and remorseful. He has committed unspeakable atrocities and lives in isolation in a self-imposed exile. Half of England has felt his wrath, and they want him dead. He cannot blame them for trying. Inspired by Little John (Bill Skarsgård) to tackle one last exploit to save John’s newly acquired family, Robin indulges in his violent tendencies. Though he survives this ordeal, his wounds take him to death’s door. Little John delivers him to a remote island priory, where a dutiful nurse (Jodie Comer) tends to his recovery. He cannot escape this life and, frustratingly, heals while concealing his true identity under a false name.


Depending on your expectations, it is at this point where the movie really takes off or truly slows down. Sarnoski’s film follows Robin’s healing as he becomes an asset to the small island community, learns about the vegetation from the leper, and teaches the children about trapping game. This is not a tale about Robin saving Marian from the clutches of Nottingham or delivering riches to the underfed masses. Allusions to popular adventures in the lore of Robin Hood are made, but only in quick subtleties, such as a young Robin meeting a much younger Little John on a fateful bridge. This is a story about a man who lost every urge to carry on with life, only to find he may still have purpose. 


It is in this new rendition that the character's deviation will split audiences. While there are moments of electric violence with no shortage of blood and carnage, most of this story is a somber, quiet study of a man beset by grief and guilt, longing to find an escape but forced to confront his own conscience. Jackman levies his gruffness sharply, and Comer’s compassionate Sister Brigid contrasts well, stoically rendering care for Robin and running her priory with disciplined efficiency.


I am likely going to stand apart from the crowd and profess that I really enjoyed this film. The harrowing action pieces are sparse yet absorbing, but the character work is exquisite. Many audiences will be expecting the Robin Hood of legend, the English folk hero who has been quietly adopted by American audiences as one of their own. They’ll be disappointed when they realize that Sarnoski’s film mirrors the journey of Jackman’s Robin – running away from its own legend and reflecting on the brutal truths buried within the fable.


 
 
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