THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD

1247 AD – In the middle of a bitter snowstorm, a woman scavenges for food, picking whatever berries she can off of a bush. She comes upon a man, the seemingly legendary hero Robin Hood (Hugh Jackman). The woman mentions Robin’s exploits, but he says that Robin (not confirming who he really is) was no hero, but a butcher who took pleasure in stealing and killing.

Later at night, the woman attempts to attack Robin in his sleep, but he gets the upper hand and stabs her in the neck. As she bleeds out, Robin figures that the woman was seeking retribution for him killing someone in her family (her father), and he finishes her off with a knife to the head. In the morning, Robin carries her body to bury her among a field of unmarked graves of those who have also sought vengeance against Robin.

Robin has long retired from his life of crime and is haunted by his wicked deeds. He retains a close companionship with Little John (Bill Skarsgard), who now goes by Edward and has a wife, Margaret (Katie Breen), and a daughter, Little Margaret (Faith Delaney). Little John speaks lovingly of them. He asks Robin to help him in retaking his farm.

The two men sneak into the village amidst the fog and begin slaughtering men. One of the men holds Margaret and stabs her, killing her and her unborn child. John attacks the man and beats him to death before tearing his jaw off. A boy, Hendrie (Alfie Lawless), tries to run and warn others, but Robin fires an arrow into the boy’s head. He survives long enough to walk back to his village before dying. Hendrie’s father knows who killed his son, and he vows revenge after holding a ceremony for the boy.

Hendrie’s family retaliates by setting fire to the farm. Robin and John fight back, killing all the men until Robin faces the Elderfather (Clive Russell). A brutal fight ensues, with the Elderfather being killed, but Robin is seriously injured.

John takes a barely conscious Robin to an island, where he wakes up at the Priory of St. Clement. He meets the prioress, Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer), who aids in Robin’s recovery. He addresses himself as Randolph, hiding his true identity. During his stay, Robin meets a Leper (Murray Bartlett), who shares his personal philosophies and stories with him.

Little Margaret makes it onto the island after John has apparently been killed. She cuts a boy’s cheek with a knife and runs away into a cave. Robin pursues her and spares her life, as well as not telling her the truth about him and her father’s history. He then guides her back to the priory.

As Robin starts to make himself useful around the priory (teaching Little Margaret to skin a rabbit and fire an arrow), he sees a young boy named Arthur (Noah Jupe), brother of Hendrie, arriving to the island. Robin notices Arthur’s eye injury and becomes suspicious. Later at night, Robin follows Brigid to a cave, where he watches her pleasure herself.

Robin later finds the Leper on his deathbed. He removes his facial coverings and reveals himself to by Robin’s former foe, Guy of Gisborne, and he has already known who Robin is. He tells Robin to stick to his new life and to not tell anybody of his true identity. Robin later joins Brigid and the rest of the priory as they hold a funeral for Guy.

The next day, Robin sails on a boat with Arthur to another part of the island. Arthur admits his name is really Godwyn and that he was coming to seek revenge for the death of his family. Robin convinces him to stop seeking retribution and to return home to whatever family he has left.

When Robin returns to the priory, he approaches Brigid and admits to her that he is the outlaw Robin Hood. She becomes frightened and leaves him. At night, Robin finds Brigid, who lets him lay in bed as she treats him with bloodletting. She tells Robin that he was responsible for the death of her husband and children, claiming that he burned them alive. Robin dreams of John with an arrow through his eye, speaking to him about their lives and deeds.

The following morning, Robin approaches Brigid and requests that she help him die, as he can no longer bear the weight of his guilt. Brigid brings Robin back to the bed, where she cuts a vein in his arm so that he may bleed out. Brigid tells Robin that his crimes against her led her to a new life of helping others, so he may take some comfort in that knowledge, but he tells her not to stop the bleeding. Little Margaret arrives, seeing everything. With his final breaths, Robin tells her about himself and her father, before teaching her how to fire an arrow. Little Margaret releases the arrow, and Robin Hood is gone.