HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA - CHAPTER 1 (2024)

Genre: Western/Drama
Director: Kevin Costner
Cast: Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Will Patton, Jamie Campbell Bower, Jena Malone, Owen Crow Shoe, Tatanka Means, Ella Hunt, Danny Huston, Tom Payne, Abbey Lee, Michael Rooker, Luke Wilson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jeff Fahey 
Runtime: 3 hrs 2 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scene and Some Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 13 March 2025

Synopsis: Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, Costner’s ambitious cinematic adventure will take audiences on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America.

Movie Review:

Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 1 is the passion project that got Kevin Costner into leaving the lucrative hit series, Yellowstone. Not only that, Costner reportedly has to spend millions of his own money to co-finance his planned four-film Western epic. Even though the first two were shot back to back, the first chapter released theatrically last year was a straight flop thus making the last two chapters in a limbo state.

For a start, patience is a prerequisite to sit through this three hours western. And by that, we mean lots of patience. Horizon definitely is not made for the casual audiences. You probably need to be a western fan or an avid reader of America early history to appreciate Costner’s sprawling effort.

By not adopting a straight-forward narrative, the grandeur of Horizon is told in somewhat non inter-connected stories, filled with numerous characters and settings. The story started with an Apache raid which killed innocent European settlers, burning their tents and houses. Among the survivors are a young settlement boy, Russell, a widow Frances (Sienna Miller) and her daughter, Elizabeth. Soon after, the orphaned Russell follows a bunch of bounty hunters to avenge the death of his parents while Frances seek refuge under the United States Union Cavalry led by First Lt. Trent Gephardt (Sam Worthington) and ahem, falls in love with him.

Another story involves a woman, Ellen Harvey (Jena Malone) who shot a man dead and now his ruthless brothers, Caleb and Junior (Jamie Campbell Bower and Jon Beavers) are hot on her heels. Then there is Matthew Van Weyden (Luke Wilson) who is leading a group of settlers including a pair of Brit tourists across potentially violent terrains. Who can forget about the Apache warrior, Pionsenay (Owen Crow Shoe) who has earlier ignored his tribal leader to commit the earlier mentioned raid against the settlers.

So where is Kevin Costner who also stars, produces, writes and directs the movie? Well, he plays Hayes Ellison, a charming lonesome horse trader who for no reason offers to protect a prostitute, Marigold (Abbey Lee) and a young boy.

There is truly a lot of things happening in Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 1 that attention is also a must to follow the ongoings. Various themes are discussed from dreams, war, good vs evil, family, love and many more. It’s like Costner and co-writer Jon Baird tries their best to incorporate the entire encyclopaedia into one chapter but failing to pull off a coherent one. In other words, there isn’t much of an explanation of why and how certain things happened or ended in this way or another.

No doubt it’s an ambitious task on hand and clearly, Costner has the desire to tell an epic tale of sorts. Unfortunately, he could have concentrate simply on the battle between the Appalachian people and the settlers, the romance between Frances and Gephardt and the arrival of his character instead of delivering several inconsequential plot points into one single chapter. Because of it, it’s unlikely the audiences are going to be invested into the happenings of Hayes, Ellen or even Frances.

Still, the star power Costner has assembled here is no child’s play. Familiar faces like Will Patton, Michael Rooker, Danny Huston, Isabelle Fuhrman and Michael Angarano delivers as much screen magic as possible given their more or less limited screen time. The cinematography by J. Michael Muro is stunning and picturesque together with a subtle western score by John Debney.

It’s probably hard or unfair to judge an unfinished product liked Horizon despite Costner’s enthusiasm and courage. On hindsight, it works better as a drama series especially in today’s context. The ending boasts some teasing shots of what’s to come in Chapter 2, the supposedly land dealer baddie played by Giovanni Ribisi and more warfare between the hot headed settlers, Apache warriors and bounty hunters. Hopefully it’s not a case of too little too late.

Movie Rating:

(Fans of Costner’s past efforts like Dances with Wolves, Open Range will love it. The rest can ride off to other horizon)

Review by Linus Tee