“‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2’ Review: Kevin Costner’s Grand Western Vision Falls Short Again”
There’s a lot to unpack in Kevin Costner’s beleaguered “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2,” the second installment in his ambitious, sprawling Western series. Following the muted reception of “Chapter 1” at Cannes, this sequel also premiered out of competition on the final day of the Venice Film Festival. It builds on the first chapter’s intermittent successes and serious structural flaws, resulting in a film that is both packed with incidents and surprisingly sluggish. Despite its over three-hour runtime, the film feels jarringly abrupt and unfocused.
The narrative picks up right where the first chapter left off, which itself ended with a preview of the second installment. For viewers confused by the final image of the previous film—a lingering close-up of a mustachioed Giovanni Ribisi—“Chapter 2” starts to unravel that mystery. We’re introduced to Ribisi’s enigmatic Mr. Pickering in Chicago, where he convinces a couple of local investors to back the land-grab scheme promoted through flyers enticing settlers to the picturesque frontier called Horizon. This setup is narrated by Georgie (Aidan McCann), the young son of one of the investors. With his sing-song Scots-inflected accent and a sharp sense of irony, Georgie adds a touch of charm, making it all the more disappointing that his character vanishes from the narrative. As the story shifts westward, it continues to wrestle with its own contradictions, leaving viewers with a sense of both intrigue and frustration.
