5 Movies To Watch If You Like The Death Of Robin Hood

Every decade must have at least one gritty live-action take on the Robin Hood mythos. It's practically a law at this point, as evidenced by other recent overhauls of the character headlined by Russell Crowe and Taron Egerton. Writer-director Michael Sarnoski delivered the most recent iteration of this puzzlingly enduring concept with "The Death of Robin Hood." 

This tale begins with an older, weary Robin Hood (Hugh Jackman) living alone in the hills, content to just quietly die. However, a reunion with Little John (Bill Skarsgard) eventually leads to Robin getting so mortally wounded that he must go to an isolated island of nuns for care. Here, Robin awakens, is healed, and suddenly finds himself in a landscape where nobody knows who he is.

While this is perhaps a chance for him to carve out a new life and accomplish some acts of kindness that can somewhat counter all the slayings he's dished out, that grisly past can't stay hidden forever. "The Death of Robin Hood" is a story of a man being tugged between his past and the present. Fittingly, this 2026 movie will inevitably inspire its fans to check out movies from yesteryear. For those seeking out other cinematic options akin to "The Death of Robin Hood," we've chosen five pre-2026 titles that would be perfect companion pieces. Grab your bows and arrows and let's dive into these must-watch "Robin Hood"-adjacent efforts.

For many, any potential discussion on what movies to watch next after "The Death of Robin Hood" will begin and end with "Logan." Like "Robin Hood," this 2017 feature is also a dark Hugh Jackman star vehicle about an old version of a familiar genre hero grappling with death and his grim legacy. The two are companion pieces in many ways, so it's understandable that "Logan" functions as the default selection for post-"Death of Robin Hood" viewing. Sometimes, the obvious choices are the best ones.

Better yet, the story of grizzled and browbeaten Logan (Hugh Jackman) trying to protect young X-23 (Dafne Keen) offers plenty of unique qualities to make sure it doesn't feel like a rerun of "The Death of Robin Hood." While that film draws heavily from European auteurs in its aesthetic, "Logan" is more indebted to Westerns and road trip dramas. To boot, while "Robin Hood" largely keep its violence confined to the first act, "Logan" keeps the blood-stained carnage coming the entire runtime. The supporting turns from actors like Keen and Patrick Stewart as iconic comic book characters also ensure that there's enough distance between "Logan" and "Robin Hood."

Even if you haven't watched "The Death of Robin Hood," "Logan" — widely considered of the best superhero movies out there — is a fantastic experience well worth seeing.

Years before "The Death of the Robin Hood," Michael Sarnoski made his feature directorial debut with 2021's "Pig." This was truly an out-of-nowhere creative debut, given how Sarnoski had only directed some shorts and TV episodes before this project. "Pig" follows an isolated truffle hunter and former chef (Nicolas Cage) whose pet pig is randomly kidnapped one night. He then heads back to civilization to regain his pet, while also contending with figures from his past and the world he left behind.

While that all sounds like it could be the launchpad for a movie full of punching and over-the-top antics, Sarnoski keeps "Pig" melancholy and contemplative. This isn't a revenge movie, but rather a rumination on the material that makes life worth living, like a good friend or bonding with others over food. Reminding audiences why he's truly one of the all-time greats, "Pig" is one of the best Nicolas Cage movies out there, and he's absolutely exceptional as the haunted, withdrawn Robin Feld. Every time he's on-screen, Cage automatically just tugs at your soul, even when he's totally silent.

That effortless poignancy speaks to the captivating but aching ambiance Sarnoski so deftly weaves throughout the runtime of "Pig." What a fantastic way to kick off a feature film career.

Director Robert Eggers' love for deeply accurate, grimy period piece movies was taken to new levels in April 2022. With "The Northman," Eggers brought a Viking legend to silver screen life and in the process reaffirmed his commitment to immense artistic craftsmanship. Though its dialogue is arcane and the aesthetic can seem highfalutin, "The Northman" is essentially a classic revenge movie. Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard) witnesses his village and father being killed by the nefarious Fjolnir (Claes Bang) and spends his life stewing in revenge. Decades later, he gets his chance, with the aid of Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), to exact the vengeance that's been brewing in his bloodstream for years. 

"The Death of Robin Hood" fans will undoubtedly latch onto "The Northman" given that it too is an R-rated film making use of gorgeous natural European tableaus and ancient, muddy visual aesthetics. However, if you're craving a film that goes in a different direction than the quieter segments of "Robin Hood," "The Northman" will surely satisfy your impulses. Not only does the film keep the bone-crunching violence going at a steady clip, but there's also enjoyably bizarre moments scattered throughout its length. Plus the whole thing looks incredible, with its vintage costume and production design, not to mention committed performances from the assembled cast.

"The Northman" isn't just a solid companion to "The Death of Robin Hood." It's also the moment Robert Eggers expanded his filmmaking scope and turned a pivotal (and deeply entertaining corner) in his career.

To promote the release of "The Death of Robin Hood," director Michael Sarnoski revealed to Letterboxd 10 movies that most influenced this contemplative production. Some of these weren't surprising, like Disney's 1973 take on "Robin Hood," "The Revenant," or "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." However, other titles on the list were supremely unexpected, particularly "Phantom Thread."

What on Earth could Paul Thomas Anderson's dark comedy about the tense relationship and power dynamics between a dressmaker (Daniel Day-Lewis) and a younger woman (Vicky Krieps) have to do with this bleak vision of the Robin Hood mythos? Upon a closer inspection, though, both features have more in common than one may think.

Chiefly, Anderson's cinematography in this project must have influenced the similarly ornate visuals that cinematographer Pat Scola crafted for "The Death of Robin Hood." Meanwhile, the exploration of constantly evolving dynamics between a man and a woman in "Phantom Thread" certainly mirrors a key "Robin Hood" subplot involving Robin Hood and Jodie Comer's Sister Brigid. Above all else, though, "Phantom Thread" feels like a fitting pairing with "The Death of Robin Hood" because both titles are such specific creative visions. Neither film is bound to please everyone — and that's okay.

Perhaps that was the greatest lesson Sarnoski took from one of Daniel Day-Lewis' best movies: that films don't need to have universal appeal so long as they follow the beat of their own creative drums. 

Ingmar Bergman is considered one of the most influential filmmakers of all time and surveying the world of modern cinema makes it apparent how factual that statement is. Everything from "Muppets Most Wanted" to "Synecdoche, New York," among countless others, take sizable cues from Bergman's various works. 

Among a slew of achievements, including delivering one of the 10 best road trip movies of all time, Bergman's greatest accomplishment is his 1957 feature "The Seventh Seal." This existential production follows Antonious Block (Max von Sydow), whose just survivied fighting in the Crusades, as he harbors weighty questions about God and the nature of existence while the Black Death ravages the land. 

The physical personification of Death (Bengt Ekerot) follows Block and his unexpected companions across "The Seventh Seal" as the veteran soldier scrambles to accomplish something positive in his life before he succumbs to the Grim Reaper. "The Seventh Seal" is an unflinching feature in both depicting the most harrowing parts of humanity and ruminating on heavy questions that torment everyone's minds. Like "The Death of Robin Hood," the film follows a tortured protagonist who has lived a life of slaughter and is fully aware of how finite existence is. 

One could even just describe "The Death of Robin Hood" as a depiction of what would happen if a gritty version of Robin Hood wandered into a Bergman film. If those meditative and aching parts of "Robin Hood" resonated with you, then "The Seventh Seal" and any Bergman title is a must-watch.