Robin Hood has always been seen as the type of figure that took on the system and stood up for the little guy, as have others like Zorro. Legends like these are important to help inspire others to do good, but what if the story is not quite what we believe it to be? This is what leads us to Michael Sarnoski’s (Pig) latest film.
The Death of Robin Hood stars Hugh Jackman, Bill Skarsgard, Faith Delaney, Jade Coot, Noah Jupe, Murray Bartlett, Jodie Comer, and Katie Breen and takes place during Robin Hood’s (Jackman) later years as all of the things he has done in his life are starting to catch up with him. After a battle which nearly takes his life, Robin is taken to a priory and left to recuperate in the care of Sister Brigid (Comer), who starts to begin a friendship with Robin. What he doesn’t know is that there is healing needed by more than just him, much less how deep that healing needs to go within himself.
This is not your normal mainstream movie: the cast is small and the sets are limited (yet very vast at the same time). The performances are good overall, with the chemistry of Jackman and Comer being a highlight. My shining star here is Delaney, who truly stood out given her age and what this role demands from her. Visually, this film is full of beautiful set pieces that really nail the time the story takes place in, especially at night with its minimal lighting.
The Death of Robin Hood clocks in at just over two hours long, and even though there were a few scenes that could have been trimmed and had its pace picked up a bit, I did stay engaged throughout the story. What really was interesting to me is how it takes the character of Robin Hood and strips away all of the glitz, glam, and romance that we are all used to with few exceptions. If his story is to be told truthfully, I feel like this is type of telling would be closer to how things truly went, and this even features a lot of the graphic violence that would have happened both to him and by him to those he and his band attacked. This film is truly a new take, but it may not be the right cup of tea for a lot of people, but I will still recommend viewing it in weekday matinee showing in a theater.