A24’s “The Death of Robin Hood” opens this weekend with Hugh Jackman in a revisionist, two-part arc—brutal action that later shifts into contemplation under Jodie Comer’s prioress. Mixed reviews hover in the 60s, and Oscar hopes hinge on how quickly it can win
This weekend. “The Death of Robin Hood” arrives from A24 with Hugh Jackman’s outlaw already halfway off the legend pedestal. In Michael Sarnoski’s revisionist historical epic. Robin Hood doesn’t just swing first—he swings with little remorse. slinging arrows into the skulls of children and shoving a torch down a foe’s gullet. It’s a start built to shock, the kind of opening sequences and marketing that aim straight for attention.
Then the movie pivots.
As the story progresses, it pulls back from period violence and settles into something contemplative and philosophical. Robin Hood begins looking back at his legacy of blood debts while he’s in the care of a saintly prioress. played by Jodie Comer. What began as a brutally violent period actioner turns into a more reflective drama—one that. for some viewers. may feel like the point where the film earns its tenderness. and for others. the place where it risks losing momentum.
On IndieWire’s “Screen Talk” podcast. co-hosts Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio dug into the transformation in detail. discussing the way Jackman delivers an unvarnished performance—complete with the film’s hair and prosthetic wound makeup. Their conversation captures the central tension surrounding the movie: it’s trying to be both a reworking of Robin Hood and a statement about revisionism itself. an idea echoed by film critic David Ehrlich’s argument that it’s “an epic about the history of revisionism.”.
The reception has been mixed. Reviews aren’t landing in a way that looks comfortable for the awards conversation yet. with a Metacritic score hovering in the 60s. Even so, Thompson and Lattanzio both recommend people seek out the film. The caveat is clear: if you came for a through-and-through violent period movie. the second half—where the film dips into profundity and sentimentality—may be a harder sell. even if it sometimes hits.
That split feeling is exactly where the Oscar question tightens. “The Death of Robin Hood” needs audiences and critics behind it to propel it into awards season. and A24’s period-specific craft is framed as strong enough to become the label’s best foot forward for the fall push. But the movie can’t rely on craft alone right now. It needs box office and review support at the same time—fast enough to turn mixed early reaction into forward motion.
The movie’s two-phase structure makes the stakes feel immediate: the very sequences meant to hook audiences and sell the experience also create the expectation that the film may never fully satisfy once it slows down to ask bigger questions about blood. legacy. and who gets to rewrite violence into meaning.
Later in the same episode, the podcast also checked in on other major releases. Anne reviewed “Toy Story 5. ” described as a quickly moving. champagne-bubble kind of movie—airy and sweet. but with stakes for kids and toys. Nothing could top “Toy Story 3,” she said, but the episode notes that Andrew Stanton gets close. The Buzz Lightyear sections are highlighted as hilarious, aided by a boost from Randy Newman’s clever score. Conan O’Brien voices a cheeky new character: a potty-training device named Smarty Pants.
And the conversation didn’t stop there. Ryan advocated for distribution for a feature out of Tribeca: Sophia Takal’s “Act One. ” starring Ella Beatty—daughter of Warren and Annette Bening—as a high school acting ingenue pulled into the spell of a nefarious acting teacher. played by Ari Graynor. The methods, Ryan says, don’t follow Stanislavski or Meisner; instead, they involve grooming and psychosexual manipulation. The episode also flags a borderline campy Eve Harrington/Margo Channing element. something that could resonate with smart indie audiences—and possibly streaming audiences. It’s seeking a buyer.
Finally. the hosts caught up on Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day. ” after last week’s episode of “Screen Talk” with Ronan Farrow. For now. though. the central beat remains the same: “The Death of Robin Hood” opens this weekend with serious craft. a risky tonal shift. mixed reviews in the 60s. and very real pressure to win the room—quickly—before awards season doors start to close.
The Death of Robin Hood A24 Hugh Jackman Jodie Comer Michael Sarnoski IndieWire Screen Talk Anne Thompson Ryan Lattanzio Metacritic Oscar chances Toy Story 5 Act One Sophia Takal Ari Graynor Ella Beatty Steven Spielberg Disclosure Day