THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, Murray Bartlett, Faith Delaney, and Noah Jupe
Director: Michael Sarnoski
ADRIANO
At first, the promise of The Death of Robin Hood convinced me we had something amazing. Its grizzly nature meshed well with the redemption its titular character (Hugh Jackman) was seeking. But once it reached a much more meditative wavelength, it struggled to hold my attention in a way that director Michael Sarnoski’s slow-moving storytelling has in the past. The cinematography is stunning throughout, and its story is interesting, but we’re kept at too much of an emotional distance from Robin Hood to feel the true power of the catharsis. There’s something worthwhile in here, but it’s no bullseye.
NICK
Beyond a strong and grounded Hugh Jackman performance, The Death of Robin Hood is a dreary and laborious watch. Although it gets off to a promising start, the film wastes all of that early momentum. It’s as if director Michael Sarnoski set out to do his version of films like The Northman or Valhalla Rising but lost that intention along the way. The violence all but disappears and we’re left with a film that relies heavily on mediocre dialogue while failing to fully articulate the journey of Robin Hood (Jackman). I respect the new take on the character, but the execution here just didn’t work.
BODE
The opening of The Death of Robin Hood makes it explicitly clear that this is not the legend you remember. Inspired by a 17th century ballad, writer/director Michael Sarnoski forges his depiction in brutality and meditation, and brings about a tale about redemption and myth-making in the process. This could’ve easily felt like a cynical cash-in, but similar to his debut feature Pig, its soulful rhythms prove that it’s anything but. With strong performances, Pat Scola’s beautiful cinematography, and first-time composer Jim Ghedi’s haunting score, this challenging vision ends up being mostly worthwhile, should you give yourself over to it.
QUENTIN
For some, The Death of Robin Hood might feel like a bait and switch. The opening half-hour is gritty and violent, like if director Robert Eggers made multiplex entertainment instead of atmospheric art-in-motion period pieces. But after that quasi-prologue, Hood becomes far more meditative and melancholy, closely attuned with director Michael Sarnoski’s debut, Pig. That tonal switch may lose audiences wanting Game of Thrones-level brutality throughout, but after seeing a dozen Robin Hood (Hugh Jackman) movies, I was fully engaged in this fresh take on the character I love and the lore surrounding him. Terrific performances, beautiful cinematography, and a top-notch score only roped me in further.
AMARÚ
The Death of Robin Hood is a brutal watch. It’s a visceral attack on the senses that writer/director Michael Sarnoski was adept enough to beautifully show on screen. But unlike the film with Hugh Jackman's other literary “old man” character (until he’s 90!), I found it hard to find reason for this brutality. That is until a contemplative second-act turn worked extremely hard to bring redemptive balance to my indifference, much due to Jackman’s brilliance. Robin Hood is ultimately a tough watch with plodding pacing, but its performances keep you engaged to the end.
