The Death of Robin Hood (2026) Dir. Michael Sarnoski

The Robin Hood legend has more than its fair share of adaptations and it’s definitely been a bit of of a Robin Hood year for me with a rewatch of The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), a visit to Sherwood Forest to watch Prince of Thieves (1991) and now this new incarnation heading to cinemas.

What we have here takes a different angle to previous versions, as it ditches the ‘merry-olde’ escapades of a dashing Robin and his chipper gang for a more introspective examination of an elderly man reflecting on his legacy.

A white-bearded Hugh Jackman plays the lead and he gets good support from Bill Skarsgård, a friend and confidante whose young daughter Margaret is drawn into their world of violence.

Detached and hidden from the world, Robin spends time amongst desolate hillsides attempting to avoid various attempts on his life from people who he has wronged in the past. Here the meditative and measured tone is broken up by flashes of extreme violence where director Sarnoski doesn’t scrimp one iota on brutal and bloody medieval savagery.

Sadly for me, these tense, exciting and dramatic moments are too few and far between as the film focuses most of its runtime undoing the legend with a plodding exploration of a guilt-ridden Robin, somewhat hoping to get an honourable death for his terrible former crimes.

Jackman delivers an English accent as accurately as Costner and Crowe’s did - i.e. a bit all over the place at times - but as the dialogue is sparse it’s far less noticeable. But because of all its silent soul-searching and languid pace your mind may wander. And mine wandered to Jackman’s infinitely better portrayal of a similarly grizzled loner in Logan (2017).

An obvious comparison piece for sure, but a necessary one. Again, Jackman excellently portrays a once-famed hero, body bruised and no longer the legend he once was. A father figure-style encounter with a young girl and a redemptive final stand parallel its character beats. So given the same ground covered, there are clear similarities. But sadly, being entertaining isn’t one of them.

That’s not to say it’s not without a fair few positives. Support comes from a great Jodie Cromer as a empathetic nun on a remote island who offers a peaceful sanctuary for the physical and mental toils of others. Faith Delaney as Little Margaret is a standout and superb in her few scenes. The young actor terrifically embodies the fear, anger and panic of a girl dragged into a violent world but is given a positive arc under the wings of more jaded elders.

Tonally, the film feels akin to The Green Knight (2021) with a small number of scenes also reminding me of this year’s The Odyssey too. If you enjoyed those contemplative historical journeys then you may find enjoyment here.

Yet, it’s not as satisfying as either of those and The Death of Robin Hood is overlong and far too plodding. It’s actually a really great idea to have Robin ruminate on his dark past but it just doesn’t quite come together. A missed opportunity for a potentially great film. One of those “good to watch once, but will probably never give it a go again” movies, the film’s depressing focus on nihilism leaves this deconstruction providing something to ponder but with too little to pleasure.

★★★½

3.5 / 5

Michael Sales

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