Bill Skarsgård and Noah Jupe‘s movie from earlier this year is now available for streaming on HBO Max. The divisive adventure thriller The Death of Robin Hood is now streaming from the comfort of home, four months after its June release.
Hugh Jackman stars as the titular character, Robin Hood, in the A24 film. The cast includes Skarsgård as Little John/Edward (false identity name), Robin Hood’s oldest and most loyal companion; Jupe as Arthur/Godwyn; and Jodie Comer as Sister Brigid, the prioress of a rural nunnery. It also stars Murray Bartlett, Faith Delaney, Clive Russell, and Jade Croot.
What sets The Death of Robin Hood apart from previous adaptations of the legendary outlaw
Though yet another adaptation of the legendary outlaw, The Death of Robin Hood stands apart from previous adaptations by large margins. The latest rendition essentially strips away romanticized heroic tropes to deliver a dark, revisionist, and character-driven deconstruction of the legend.
Written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, the film follows an aged Robin, tormented by his past killings as an outlaw and living in self-imposed exile. After a battle he thought would be his last, Robin is gravely injured and takes refuge in a priory. A mysterious woman offers him a chance at salvation.
A key difference is that this movie presents an older, physically broken, long-bearded Robin Hood haunted by a violent, bloody past, rather than the youthful, nimble hero or noble defender of the poor. This version also sees Robin meet his end through a treacherous or botched bloodletting, rather than as a merry folk hero.
Rather than celebrating swashbuckling adventure or political rebellion against the Sheriff of Nottingham, the movie examines the psychological weight of a life built on violence, murder, and survival, offering a much different take than traditional Robin Hood installments.
The Death of Robin Hood is now streaming on HBO Max.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
