Film tip: The Death of Robin Hood turns the legend into a brutal reckoning

Forget the merry outlaw in green tights. The Death of Robin Hood gives Hugh Jackman a blood-soaked, battle-worn version of the folk hero and asks whether a man who built his legend through violence can find redemption before the story finally ends.

Film details

• Title: The Death of Robin Hood
• Premiere date in the Netherlands: 3 September 2026
• Director: Michael Sarnoski
• Runtime: 122 minutes
• Genre: Thriller, drama
• Country: United States
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Dutch
• Age rating: 16+
• Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, Murray Bartlett and Noah Jupe
• Where to watch in Rotterdam: KINO and Cinerama

What’s the vibe?

This Robin Hood is older, exhausted and very far removed from the cheerful outlaw who steals from the rich and distributes the proceeds with a wink.

After years of killing and surviving, Robin is gravely wounded during what he expects to be his final battle. He eventually finds himself in the care of Sister Brigid, played by Jodie Comer, who forces him to confront the difference between the heroic legend told about him and the violent man he actually became.

Michael Sarnoski, the director of Pig and A Quiet Place: Day One, treats the material more like a grim western than a swashbuckling adventure. The opening stretches are brutal and muddy, while the later scenes become quieter and more reflective as Robin begins wondering whether redemption is still available to him.

In other words, nobody is merrily robbing a sheriff between jaunty lute solos.

Trailer

Check out the trailer below.

Why you might like it

• Eyes: Bleak medieval landscapes, firelit battles, 35mm cinematography and a visual style that shifts as Robin's world begins to change.
• Heart: Hugh Jackman plays a man confronting the human cost of the stories people tell about him, while Jodie Comer brings warmth without becoming a simple route to forgiveness.
• Mind: The film dismantles the idea of Robin Hood as an uncomplicated hero and asks whether legends can hide the damage caused by the people who inspired them.

Critical reception.

Critical reaction to The Death of Robin Hood has been decidedly mixed, although Hugh Jackman's performance has attracted widespread praise.

Rotten Tomatoes currently gives the film 67% from 165 critic reviews, with a 56% verified audience score. The critical consensus praises its attempt to uncover the complicated man behind the folk hero, while noting that the relentless gloom and violence may make some viewers wish the film had packed a little more levity into its quiver.

Metacritic gives the film a score of 60 from 35 reviews, placing it in the mixed or average category. Eighteen reviews are positive, fifteen are mixed and two are negative.

Time Out awarded the film four stars and praised its brutal but surprisingly sensitive treatment of the legend, particularly Jackman's performance. RogerEbert.com was similarly positive, arguing that the film succeeds because it takes seriously the question of what redemption actually costs.

The Guardian was more reserved, admiring the atmosphere and ambition while finding the quieter dramatic material less fully realised. IndieWire also saw value in Sarnoski's attempt to dismantle centuries of Robin Hood mythology, while questioning whether all of its grim revisionism completely comes together.

The film had its Australian premiere at the Sydney Film Festival in June 2026. No major awards wins have been announced at the time of writing.

Scene to watch for

Watch the major battle early in the film.

Sarnoski deliberately strips away any romantic fantasy of medieval combat. The fighting is messy, exhausting and vicious, with Robin moving through it less like a heroic archer and more like someone whose ability to survive has become deeply disturbing.

It also establishes the film's central problem: this man may have become a legend, but the reality behind that legend contains a lot of bodies.

Recommended pairing

Go rustic before the screening with a hearty stew, dark bread or roasted vegetables. Something warm feels appropriate before spending two hours in cold, muddy medieval Britain.

Afterwards, take a quiet walk rather than immediately jumping into another activity. This Robin Hood leaves considerably more to unpack than whether Kevin Costner's accent was acceptable.

Need-to-knows

The Death of Robin Hood is written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, whose debut Pig also centred on a damaged man whose reputation concealed something more complicated underneath. His third feature applies a similar approach to one of the most repeatedly adapted characters in popular culture.

The story draws inspiration from the old ballad Robin Hood's Death, which recounts the outlaw's final days rather than his famous adventures with the Merry Men.

Hugh Jackman's Robin is intentionally far removed from the traditional heroic version. Sarnoski treats the mythology itself as part of the story, asking how generations of retelling can transform a violent human being into a comforting cultural symbol.

Cinematographer Pat Scola shot the film entirely on 35mm Kodak film. The production also changes aspect ratios at different points, using the shape of the frame to reflect changes in Robin's world and state of mind.

The film was shot on location in Northern Ireland in difficult winter conditions, including cold, rain, snow and plenty of mud. That miserable medieval texture is therefore not entirely acting.

Singer-songwriter Jim Ghedi composed the brooding folk-influenced score.