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- Why viewers will think of Logan — and why this film tries to be different
- Plot snapshot: a frayed legend in winter and on an island
- Cast and characters: who stands out
- Visuals, sound, and the film’s brutal aesthetic
- Where the film earns its keep — and where it stumbles
- Scenes and moments likely to linger with viewers
- Practical details: who should see it and when it opens
Hugh Jackman returns as an older, blood-streaked Robin Hood in a film that invites inevitable comparisons to Logan. The new take leans into grim violence and a weary anti-hero, trading legend for a raw reimagining that asks whether a lifetime of brutality can be redeemed.
Why viewers will think of Logan — and why this film tries to be different
Both movies center on an aging Jackman fighting to protect a young girl. Both use weathered makeup and scars to show time’s toll. But the creative teams steer in distinct directions.
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- Logan was shaped by James Mangold and blended tender drama with brutal action.
- This Robin Hood comes from Michael Sarnoski, who directed Pig and A Quiet Place: Day One.
- The new film leans harder into bleakness and moral ambiguity than emotional rescue.
If you loved the quiet humanity of Logan, expect a starker, less forgiving reinterpretation here.
Plot snapshot: a frayed legend in winter and on an island
The story opens in a bitter mountain cold. An isolated man lives alone under an assumed name. He is haunted by a bloody past.
When an old comrade seeks help, the outlaw is pulled back into violence. A rescue spirals into shocking carnage.
Wounded, he is taken to a secluded priory run by a compassionate nun. There he meets a traumatized orphan who yearns for family. The setting shifts from charred earth to windswept sea.
Key beats to know
- A violent opening act establishes the film’s unflinching tone.
- Healing and temptation at the priory slow the pace and humanize the lead.
- New enemies and old sins force confrontations that feel inevitable.
Cast and characters: who stands out
The ensemble includes familiar names who give the material texture. Some performances lift scenes. Others are limited by the script.
- Hugh Jackman plays the broken outlaw. His work recalls earlier roles, though with less outward fury.
- Jodie Comer portrays the nun who tends the wounded. She brings warmth but is constrained by the screenplay.
- Bill Skarsgård is a grizzled Little John, loyal and rough-edged.
- Faith Delaney plays the orphan who becomes the film’s emotional hinge.
- Murray Bartlett adds dry humor as a leper with blunt honesty.
- Noah Jupe appears briefly in a pivotal turn.
Several characters feel reduced to symbols rather than full people. That choice limits emotional payoff.
Visuals, sound, and the film’s brutal aesthetic
Cinematography alternates between ominous browns and icy blues. Many violent scenes are framed with a painterly eye.
- Sound design foregrounds bone and flesh in close, uncomfortable detail.
- Firelit battles contrast with the calm of the priory.
- The film often makes gore beautiful and disturbing at once.
The result is a movie that uses sensory brutality to make a point about its protagonist.
Where the film earns its keep — and where it stumbles
The movie has strengths, but they are uneven.
- Strength: striking production design and committed acting in many scenes.
- Strength: an ambitious attempt to flip a folk hero into a moral puzzle.
- Weakness: episodic pacing that repeats the same emotional beats.
- Weakness: thin characterization for key figures, especially women.
- Weakness: a heavy reliance on shock and gore over surprising insight.
At times the film feels like an aesthetic exercise more than a fresh argument about the legend. Its moral questions land, but the emotional architecture is shaky.
Scenes and moments likely to linger with viewers
- Early ambushes that set a merciless tone.
- A grisly archery sequence that underscores the protagonist’s efficiency.
- Quiet moments at the priory where tender gestures conflict with a violent past.
- A controversial night scene intended to add complexity to a central female character.
These moments reveal the director’s intention to shock and humanize at once. For many viewers, that balance will feel off.
Practical details: who should see it and when it opens
The Death of Robin Hood is aimed at adults who accept bleak revisionist fables and strong violence. If sensitive to graphic scenes, choose carefully.
- Director: Michael Sarnoski
- Lead: Hugh Jackman
- Notable cast: Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, Faith Delaney, Murray Bartlett, Noah Jupe
- Opens in theaters on June 19
Expect a film that favors mood and moral grimness over nostalgia for the classic Robin Hood story.
