Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1: Costner's Grand Vision Begins - Movie Review

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is a cinematic prologue to a grand tale.

Much of the buzz surrounding Kevin Costner’s new multi-part passion project, ‘Horizon: An American Saga,’ has focused more on the behind-the-scenes nature of the project. Such as how much of Costner’s own funds have been dumped into the movie, the search for additional financial backers, and, of course, Costner’s departure from one of the most popular shows on television, ‘Yellowstone,’ after the alleged drama with creator Taylor Sheridan. But is chapter one of the multi-part saga any good? It’s a more difficult question to answer than you might think.

The film is billed as a multifaceted epic Western that covers the Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West.

The story was deemed too big for just one film, with Chapter 1 in theaters now, Chapter 2 set to release in August, Chapter 3 currently filming and a fourth chapter planned. Chapter 1 sees families trying to settle in a new town called Horizon that has been billed as the ‘American Dream.’ The only problem is that anyone who attempts to settle the town has to fend off the local Apache tribe. It sounds simple enough, but the film often jumps to new destinations and characters, constantly introducing you to new characters, settings, and scenarios.

Chapter 1 feels like an extended pilot episode for a new television series.

It sets a lot of threads in motion during its three-hour runtime with new characters you are still trying to figure out by the time the final credits start rolling. The film has very little payoff, which could be frustrating for those who don’t know what they’re getting into. That being said, the film is rarely dull, looks great, and while the action is somewhat sparse, the action that is there is well-executed.

Other than Costner himself, the film includes the likes of Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Michael Rooker, Danny Huston, Jena Malone, Luke Wilson, Will Patton, Giovanni Ribisi, and dozens more names that we can’t fit here. While it might seem a bit undermining to lump them all together, all of the performances are strong in their own right, but it’s hard to give a proper critique when some of their story arcs have only barely started. Instead, we can focus on Costner himself, who plays Hayes Ellison, a horse trader in Montana territory who finds himself wrapped up in some family matters involving Marigold (Abbey Lee), the town prostitute. Costner’s character shows up nearly an hour into the film, but Costner, being the movie star that he is, demands attention when he appears on screen. Costner is at home in this genre, and it shows.

Verdict

I give Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 1 3 out of 5 stars. It can barely stand on its own two feet as a standalone film. However, it may have lined up all the pieces for something great that we have yet to see. Just before the credits roll, an obscure montage of scenes presumably from Chapter 2 is shown. Say what you will about the jumbled Chapter 1, but I am actively looking forward to Chapter 2.