Kevin Costner may have said he wanted audiences to “travel with him to the West” through Horizon: An American Saga, Chapter One (Two, Three and maybe even Four!). But for many, this over three-hour slow-burn western felt less like an epic journey and more like a meandering road trip.
A passion project with grand ambitions, Horizon promised sweeping vistas, heartfelt narratives, and a revival of the old-school western genre. The great American story! What it delivers, however, is an overstuffed patchwork quilt of characters, storylines, and ideas—some vibrant for a minute or two, but mostly just dry.
Costner not only directed but also co-wrote this sprawling tale, which showcases a glittering cast. From Jena Malone and Sam Worthington to Jamie Campbell Bower and Ella Hunt, the sheer star power could light up the prairie. Yet the characters they portray often blur together. At one point, it becomes difficult to differentiate between one grizzled cowboy with a hat and another. If you can’t keep track of who’s who, don’t worry—you are not alone.
The problem isn’t the performances. Jamie Campbell Bower, for instance, does a fantastic job portraying Caleb, a brash and irritating younger brother, who everyone would want to punch in the gut. Sienna Miller brings nuance to her portrayal of the troubled Frances, even with limited material. The issue lies in the sheer volume of characters introduced, only to appear for a few minutes and then disappear for hours (!). By the time they return, you might need a flowchart to remember their purpose – if they have any.
Source: IMDB
Let’s talk about what does work: the cinematography and sound design. Costner captures the rugged beauty of the frontier with an eye for stunning landscapes and palpable passion for this long-passed world. The scenery alone is almost worth the price of your time, with sweeping shots that evoke the untamed vastness of the American West. Paired with an immersive soundscape—gunshots, rustling winds, and the calls of animals—it’s easy to see why some might label this film a visual and auditory feast.
But as the saying goes, you can’t survive on bread alone. For all its aesthetic appeal, Horizon often feels like a series of disconnected, high-quality postcards from your great grandmother’s drawer. Beautiful, sure, but static.
Horizon tries to tackle a lot: settlers seeking peace, Indigenous tribes navigating fraught relationships with encroaching newcomers, family dramas, forbidden romances, and the sprawling backdrop of pre- and post-Civil War America. But instead of weaving these elements into a cohesive narrative, the film jumps from one vignette to another.
One minute, we are witnessing a tense conversation between a horse dealer (played by Costner himself) and a prostitute. Next, we are introduced to a grieving sergeant and his fearsome wife aiding Yankees. And then comes a young boy, an orphan, ready to shoot whoever comes in his way. Just as we start to grasp a storyline or care about a character, we are whisked away to another subplot entirely.
Costner has described Horizon as his “UFO project,” an unprecedented passion endeavor. That passion is evident, but it might be misplaced. The film exudes a confidence that it has not earned—a belief that audiences will naturally flock to theaters and sit in front of their TVs for these epics spanning four chapters. The first chapter’s $38 million box office return against its $100 million budget suggests otherwise.
Chapter 1’s finale—a montage set to music, almost like a trailer for Chapter 2—is the cherry on this sand-sprinkled cake. It is so abrupt, unexpected and absurd that it left me chuckling. Also, Costner uses those last few shots to introduce more random characters!
Truth to be told, perhaps the most frustrating thing about Horizon is its untapped potential. With its rich subject matter and myriad characters, this story screams “prestige television.” A well-paced miniseries could have allowed each character to develop, each subplot to breathe, connective tissue to form. Instead, we have got this something.
This is especially disappointing given the recent resurgence of interest in westerns, thanks to projects like Yellowstone (also involving Costner) or anything by Taylor Sheridan, and indie hits like Viggo Mortensen’s The Dead Don’t Hurt. Maybe Costner should not have left Yellowstone for this, or maybe this project was simply not ready when the cameras started rolling.
Source: Bio Oko
If you’re a die-hard western fan with the patience of a saint, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 might still be worth your time. The sound design and cinematography are truly remarkable, and there is an undeniable charm to its classic approach. But for everyone else, the fragmented narrative, bloated runtime, and lack of character development may make this a tough ride.
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is now available on HBO Max, Prime Video, Apple TV and more.
~ by Dora Endre ~
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