Title – The Death of Robin Hood (2026)

Director – Michael Sarnoski (Pig)

Cast – Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, Noah Jupe, Murray Bartlett

Plot – A battle wearied Robin Hood (Jackman), tormented by his past and the false narrative around his deeds, finds himself on a remote island overseen by the kindly Sister Brigid (Comer), with this quiet place offering him a chance to come to terms with who he was and now is.  

“I’ve seen the power of stories. They can be used to make men do terrible things”

Review by Eddie on 31/08/2026

Let it be clear, there are no Bryan Adams songs or men in tights to be seen here, as writer/director Michael Sarnoski ensures that his The Death of Robin Hood is an entirely different beast to what we’ve come to expect from the universe of the world’s most famous robber of the rich and giver to the poor.

A rare financial miss for darling distributor A24, who invested over $20 million into Sarnoski’s third feature film following on from his critical hit debut Pig and blockbuster follow up A Quiet Place: Day One, only to see their box office returns come in at under $10 million worldwide despite the presence of superstar Hugh Jackman, it’s not hard to see why Hood failed to inspire much in the way of adoration from viewers who were no doubt expecting an entirely different type of film, especially if they were basing their assumptions off wildly inaccurate trailers.

As far away from previous Robin Hood feature film incarnations as you’d find, with Robin here portrayed by Jackman in what is a reimagined version as a pure murderous thief who in his old age begins to come to terms with the monster he is, compared to the inaccurate portrayal he has amongst gossipers and storytellers as a bastion to the poor sticking it to the rich, Hood is an unapologetically bleak and bloody affair that is also powerful in its portrayal of a man grappling with his nature, amounting to a moving and eventually softly spoken affair that never plays out the way in which you’d expect.

Opening to a relentless and captivatingly intense first act that finds Robin reteaming with his long-term friend and fellow murderer Little John (a near unrecognisable Bill Skarsgård in another scene-stealing supporting turn) and then slowly but surely unravelling into an entirely different film when Robin finds himself on a remote island overseen by Jodie Comer’s welcoming Sister Brigid and The White Lotus season one breakout star Murray Bartlett as the island leper, Hood at times appears to be following a pattern we believe we can predict but thankfully Sarnoski has a few tricks up his sleeve to keep things fresh in more ways than one.

All taking place in a rather cool, calm and collected manner, the polar opposite to how the film opens, the pace of Hood and the dour tone has clearly not worked for many but for those that find the emotional beat of the film and the groove in which Sarnoski is orchestrating everything in here, Hood becomes a poignant interpretation of an age-old tale, with some awards worthy central turns at its core.

In his best individual turn in years, Jackman sports 2026’s most impressive facial hair arrangement on his way to a measured and effective portrayal of one of history’s most famous fictional characters and with quality support from the always impeccable Comer and the rock solid work of Bartlett, Hood may not appear on many if any end of year award lists but it’s an-round affair that deserves more respect for the powerful and human take it explores in the space of the Robin Hood archives.

Final Say –

Bloody when it needs to be but more often than not softly spoken with a poignant undertone throughout, The Death of Robin Hood is a sadly overlooked 2026 film that one hopes can gain the respect and adoration it deserves over the coming years as willing audiences discover it for themselves.

4 1/2 fruit orchids out of 5