Movie Review: ‘The Death of Robin Hood’

Hugh Jackman stars in ‘The Death of Robin Hood’. Photo: A24.

Opening on June 19 is ‘The Death of Robin Hood,’ written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, and starring Hugh Jackman, Bill Skarsgård, Jodie Comer, Murray Bartlett, Noah Jupe, Faith Delaney, and Clive Russell.

Release Date: Jun 19, 2026

Run Time: 2 hr 3 min

Budget: $25,000,000

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Initial Thoughts

Hugh Jackman stars in ‘The Death of Robin Hood’. Photo: A24.

You couldn’t get two more different performances out of an actor than you’re getting this spring from Hugh Jackman. After delighting family audiences with his sweet-natured turn in ‘The Sheep Detectives,’ Jackman goes full dark in ‘The Death of Robin Hood,’ a decidedly atypical take on the legendary folk hero. It’s adapted from a relatively obscure 17th century ballad about Robin’s last days by writer-director Michael Sarnoski, the filmmaker behind the cult hit ‘Pig’ and the surprisingly effective ‘A Quiet Place: Day One.’

The title of the movie is a spoiler itself, so it’s safe to say that the event mentioned does in fact occur. But the film isn’t so much about Robin Hood’s demise as it is about what happens to him along his journey, while the title also carries a double meaning that comes to light as well. A typically great Jackman performance and an immersive production help get the movie over a few bumps, such as an abrupt shift in tone and a lengthy second half that is not as cathartic as it could be.

Story and Direction

(L to R) Director Michael Sarnoski and Hugh Jackman on the set of ‘The Death of Robin Hood’. Photo: A24.

The year is 1247 AD and from the get-go, this isn’t Errol Flynn in ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ or Kevin Costner in ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.’ This Robin Hood is a gray-haired, bearded, reclusive nomad whose heroic exploits aren’t just long behind him: they didn’t even really exist. As he tells one would-be assassin before dispatching them with a knife to the head, the Robin Hood that people tell stories about is just a mirage: there was no Maid Marian, no stealing from the rich to give to the poor, and no Merry Men as we know them – just an endless grind of robbery and murder ‘because I enjoyed it.’

But even though Robin is waiting to die in a morass of regret, personal pain, and sorrow – with plenty of blood debts still to be repaid – he’s approached by his former right-hand man, Little John (Bill Skarsgård), to help him fight one more battle. Help him he does, in a dimly-lit sequence of unrelenting violence as hands are ripped in half, heads are impaled on flaming torches, and jaws are torn away. When Robin himself is badly injured, he’s transported by John to a hilltop priory on a remote island, where the prioress, the saintly Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer), nurses him back to health – and gradually begins to heal his soul as well.

Jodie Comer stars in ‘The Death of Robin Hood’. Photo: A24.

It’s at this point that ‘The Death of Robin Hood’ takes a rather sharp turn away from the brutality of the film’s first act into the serenity of the priory, where Sister Brigid shepherds a small community of women, children, and a leper (Murray Bartlett) who seems to have a better understanding of Robin (who’s going by the name Randolph) than he first lets on. It’s here that the film slows its pace significantly as Robin becomes part of the idyllic enclave and begins to come to terms with his past and his sins, even as that past might still catch up with him yet when a little girl (Faith Delaney) comes under his protection.

It’s a familiar arc of forgiveness and redemption that we’ve seen before, especially in films like ‘Unforgiven’ and even Jackman’s bittersweet turn as Wolverine in 2017’s ‘Logan,’ so at first ‘The Death of Robin Hood’ follows a somewhat predictable path and character arc. But while those films offered up a kind of catharsis and payoff in their final acts – usually the bloodstained kind – ‘The Death of Robin Hood’ takes a different tack, which may leave some viewers unsatisfied during its long final stretch.

Hugh Jackman stars in ‘The Death of Robin Hood’. Photo: A24.

Nevertheless, this is still rich material, with the title signifying not just the end of a life but the shattering of legends. ‘We can’t be trusted with our stories,’ says Robin at one point, tired of hearing about the legends that portray him as a far nobler and more heroic person than he ever was. This is also about the death of that legend, and why tearing it down and seeing the person for who he really is might be the best way to come to terms with him.

Sarnoski sets all this in both stunning Northern Ireland landscapes and murkily-lit caves and forests, with primary characters often seen only in shadow against backdrops of candles or moonlight. The violence is graphic and ugly, drenched in gore and mud, but the scenes in the priory are beautiful in their tranquility and simplicity. There isn’t a moment in the film that the viewer doesn’t believe they’re in the England of the Middle Ages, a mood aided by Jim Ghedi’s lyrical score and folk ballads.

Cast and Performances

(L to R) Hugh Jackman and Murray Bartlett star in ‘The Death of Robin Hood’. Photo: A24.

Perhaps because of his long-running superhero bona fides, Hugh Jackman doesn’t always get credit for what a superb actor he can be. ‘The Death of Robin Hood’ adds to his diverse portfolio of performances with a portrait of a man in deep existential pain, weighed down with the baggage of his past, the myths built around him, and the red in his ledger, who somehow finds the strength to regain his humanity. Jackman holds the screen throughout with a finely detailed and emotionally wrenching portrayal.

He’s ably supported by the chameleonic Bill Skarsgård, who disappears as always into the role of Little John, and Jodie Comer, who gradually peels back the layers of Sister Brigid to reveal the complex woman inside who’s got her own secrets underneath her seemingly pious exterior. Special mention should also go to Murray Bartlett, who telegraphs compassion and grace as the Leper even though his face is wrapped in mummy-like bandages for most of the film.

Final Thoughts

Hugh Jackman stars in ‘The Death of Robin Hood’. Photo: A24.

Films that reinvent the mythology of a famous folk hero (or superhero, for that matter) are always an interesting gambit, and while ‘The Death of Robin Hood’ doesn’t necessarily reinvent the formula for such a film, it still offers up a compelling study of a man who is nowhere near the kind of person one might look up to – but who still has the potential to become one.

The two distinct halves of the movie may not mesh together as well as Michael Sarnoski might like, but the themes of redeeming oneself and embracing one’s own story are still powerful. And they’re fueled by a towering performance from Hugh Jackman that is truly heroic itself.

‘The Death of Robin Hood’ receives a score of 85 out of 100.

Hugh Jackman stars in ‘The Death of Robin Hood’. Photo: A24.

What is the plot of ‘The Death of Robin Hood’?

Grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder, Robin Hood finds himself gravely injured after a battle he thought would be his last. In the hands of a mysterious woman, he is offered a chance at salvation.