The Death of Robin Hood Review
Moody, compelling and absolutely gorgeous to watch (and pretty brutal in equal measure), Sarnoski has crafted a deeply absorbing film that needs to be seen on the big screen.
Robin Hood (Hugh Jackman) is grappling with the inner scars of his past life - the scars of crime, murder and more. But when he agrees to help Little John (Bill Skarsgard) rescue his daughter, he winds up gravely injured in a battle he thought would be his last. While much of him longed for that glorious death in battle, he instead finds himself in the hands of Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer) who nurses him back to health, and perhaps gives him another chance at finding a death befitting the great Robin Hood.
Michael Sarnoski’s The Death of Robin Hood isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s a subtle, sometimes wordless piece, that dives in on the visuals and introspection more so than the blood, guts and swashbuckling gore of legend. But it’s all the better for it.
The film opens on a desolate scene. A young woman, traipsing across an inhospitable landscape, in search of a man who murdered her kin. Around the only fire for miles, she and Robin have a double meaning laden back and forth, and it leads to a brutal murder. The screen itself seems cold with the depiction of the frosty landscape; the music slim but pulsating. It’s a perfect encapsulation of everything this movie is. It doesn’t take the time to baby you through the brutality of its action, or the inner monologue of its lead character. It shows you what it can, what it wants to, and lets you figure out the rest.
Across the board, the cast is nothing short of spectacular. Bill Skarsgard is unrecognizable as Little John. Jodie Comer plays a saintly healer with a broken heart with nuance and humanity that never leaves her even in anger. Murray Bartlett brings a wealth of pain, understanding and hope to his performance as a Leper - even with only his eyes visible. But they all pale in comparison to Hugh Jackman, who has never been better. The incomparable lined face of the man reveals deep wells of thought and emotion, alongside the occasional flick of his eyes, that do more to make this story work than any additional dialogue ever could.
But that’s not to say this is a soft film. This is a lot more brutal than you might be expecting. The action in the first half of this film is completely devastating; Sarnoski doesn’t shy away from what an actual fight to the death looks like. And it will have you wincing and wanting more in equal measure. And its visual aplomb is matched by the incredible cinematography, and the gorgeous costume and set design.
Ultimately, the film ends with a whimper more than bang, but in that way it perfectly mirrors Robin’s own journey. Complex, nuanced, heart pumping and breaking in equal measure, this is a feast for the eyes and soul.
