The Death of Robin Hood (2026)    A24/Drama    RT: 123 minutes    Rated R (strong bloody violence)    Director: Michael Sarnoski    Screenplay: Michael Sarnoski    Music: Jim Ghedi    Cinematography: Pat Scola    Release date: June 19, 2026 (US)    Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgard, Murray Bartlett, Noah Jupe, Faith Delaney, Jade Croot, Clive Russell.

Rating: ***

 Any notions you might have of Robin Hood being a romantic outlaw hero are quickly dispelled by the man himself at the beginning of The Death of Robin Hood. A female wanderer comes across the aged Robin (Jackman, Logan) living in the rugged, windswept hills of a remote area of Britain. He wastes little time in setting her straight about himself. All of the myths are just that, myths. There was no Maid Marian. When he stole from the rich, he didn’t give it to the poor; he kept it for himself. Also, he’s killed more people than he can remember. Basically, Robin Hood was nothing more than an opportunist and cold-blooded killer. Now he’s old and waiting to die.

 Viewers looking for action will be disappointed. You’ll notice that I classified The Death of Robin Hood (btw, the title is a spoiler!) as a drama. That’s what it is for the most part. There’s some action in the first act with Robin helping his longtime friend and partner-in-crime Little John (Skarsgard, Nosferatu) resolve a family feud. As a result, Robin is near fatally wounded. He’s taken to a priory where he’s nursed back to health by the prioress Sister Brigid (Comer, 28 Years later). This is where he takes his first step on the road to redemption.

 At this point, The Death of Robin Hood becomes a drama in the vein of Clint Eastwood’s western masterpiece Unforgiven (1992). Robin, realizing he’s been given a chance to atone for his sins, sticks around for a while. Nobody knows who he really is. They only know him as Randolph. He befriends a leper (Bartlett, The White Lotus) who tends to the trees (apple, pear and elderberry) and looks after Little John’s traumatized young daughter (Delaney, Hamnet). Of course, it’s only a matter of time before his violent past comes calling.

 Directed by Michael Sarnoski (A Quiet Place: Day One), The Death of Robin Hood has periodic pacing issues, but it’s not supposed to be a rollicking adventure like the 1991 version with Kevin Costner. No, this one is closer in spirit to Robin and Marian starring Sean Connery as an older version of the folk hero, one whose days of adventure have come to a close. It also brings to mind the somber 2010 film starring Russell Crowe. The point is The Death of Robin Hood is not a fun popcorn movie. It’s a darker take on the legendary figure, one whose story has been greatly fabricated. It’s an interesting interpretation of Robin Hood.

 Jackman is terrific in the title role. He brings the same gravitas that be brought to aged Wolverine in the elegiac superhero movie Logan. His Robin Hood is exhausted, a man beaten down by a life of violence and self-serving crime. He’s just waiting around for the end to come. Then he gets a final shot at redemption, something he didn’t even know he wanted until it happened. Even then, he knows whatever happiness he finds will be short-lived, especially when he learns a shocking fact about his primary caretaker’s past, namely what brought her to the priory.

 I’ve admired Comer as an actress since I first saw her on the series Killing Eve. She always makes interesting choices. She turns it yet another right-on-point performance as Sister Brigid, a woman torn between her vows and her obvious attraction to her ward. She doesn’t just depict it; she absorbs it into her character. She has a naturalistic quality to her. Young Delaney shows great promise as an actress. A lot of young actors have played traumatized children to varying degrees of success. Delaney nails it by not overplaying it, by keeping it level and believable. It’s a solid performance.

 The cinematography by Pat Scola is a highlight. The Death of Robin Hood is breathtaking to look at sometimes. He uses the rugged landscapes of Northern Ireland to great dramatic effect. They’re a perfect reflection of Robin Hood’s internal state. It helps that Sarnoski utilizes a 2.4:1 aspect ratio for these early scenes before switching 1.66:11 for the two remaining acts. The only issue here is some scenes are too dark. It makes it hard to see what’s going on.

 I know that The Death of Robin Hood isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. It doesn’t stand a chance against the summer heavy hitters (e.g. Toy Story 5, Supergirl). It’s not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a darn good one. It’s one of the better interpretations of Robin Hood. It’s definitely better than that modernized abomination with Taron Egerton. This Hood may not be heroic, but he’s still tops with a bow and arrow. We see a fair amount of it in the gory first act. He passes this skill onto the little girl. It’s cool. In short, I like The Death of Robin Hood. It still doesn’t hold a candle to Errol Flynn, but what does?