The Death of Robin Hood Review: Hugh Jackman Stars in A24's Dour Revisionist Take on the Legend

Michael Sarnoski's "The Death of Robin Hood" deconstructs the legendary outlaw as a battle-worn criminal seeking moral salvation rather than heroic redemption. The film opens with Robin as a solitary nomad in 13th-century England, pulled into one final violent conflict by his former accomplice Little John (Bill Skarsgård), after which he recovers at a priory under the care of Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer). There he mentors troubled children and befriends a philosophical leper, gradually moving toward spiritual peace rather than action-driven heroics. The film employs striking cinematography, a shifting color palette, varying aspect ratios, and graphic medieval violence to establish its melancholic atmosphere. Both reviewers acknowledge Sarnoski's artistic integrity and the cast's committed performances, but they disagree on whether the film's unrelenting bleakness becomes tedious or remains purposefully profound.