The Death of Robin Hood review: 'Hugh Jackman throws himself into the role'

The Death of Robin Hood (15) ★★★

Early on in The Death of Robin Hood, Hugh Jackman’s scraggly-haired, heavily scarred, generally dishevelled and ancient-looking Robin Hood stabs a young woman multiple times in the neck, berates her for not washing, then stabs her in the head, killing her once and for all. Though we’ve already learned from this would-be assailant that all the stories about Robin Hood being a noble outlaw who robs from the rich and gives to the poor are just that, it’s clear from these opening minutes that the film is going to be true to the metaphorical implications of its title.

Presenting Robin Hood as a murderous lowlife who steals only for his own enrichment and has spilled so much blood across England that even the grandchildren of his victims are now out for revenge, this version of the beloved myth is about as far as it’s possible to get from the swashbuckling prince of thieves familiar from Errol Flynn movies, Disney animations and that Kevin Costner film with Alan Rickman’s incomparable Sheriff of Nottingham and Bryan Adams’ mawkish theme tune.

Written and directed by Michael Sarnoski (Pig, A Quiet Place: Day One), and based on a much older text, this take is designed to deconstruct myths, not burnish them. Consequently there’s no Maid Marian, no band of Merry Men, and when he does reconnect with his old companion Little John (Bill Skarsgård), it’s to kill a bunch of marauders who’ve invaded Little John’s home – a graphic scene in which we see Little John ripping the jawbone off the face of his wife’s murderer while Robin shoots an arrow through the head of a little boy fleeing the scene.

READ MORE: Film reviews: I Want Your Sex | Colony

Getting severely wounded in the course of this battle, Robin wakes up in a priory and the tone of the film suddenly becomes much more reflective and meditative. Attended to by the kindly Sister Brigid (Jody Comer), her ability to save his life might not be the beneficent act it first appears to be as he’s now forced to navigate his new purgatorial existence by reckoning with his past and finding ways to break the cycle of violence. Which is a fascinating idea and Jackman certainly throws himself into the film wholesale with a commitment and understanding of the character not unlike his portrayal of Wolverine in the downbeat Logan. That said, it’s an easier film to admire than like and while it’s another left-field move from Sarnoski, the violent overload of the first half and the redemptive arc of the second don’t always knit together in satisfying ways.

The Death of Robin Hood is in cinemas from 4 September

The Scotsman’s arts newsletter is now sent twice a week - subscribe today

Enjoying the Arts & Culture journalism on scotsman.com? Make it easier to find by selecting us as a preferred Google source

Want the latest Scottish headlines sent directly to your phone? Sign up to our new WhatsApp channel here