A Candid Review of Kevin Costner’s ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Part 1’
I might come off as a cynical entertainment critic obsessed with horror movie details, but in reality, I’m just a middle-aged guy from a deep red state who teared up when a firefighter at a Trump rally was called a “girl dad.” My brain must have shifted gears at some point, turning me into someone who loves films like Ford v Ferrari and TV shows like Yellowstone.
So, Horizon: An American Saga seemed right up my alley. I’m a fan of Kevin Costner and Westerns, making this project look like a Spielbergian alien movie set in the ’80s—how could it miss? Well, it did, in several ways.
On the positive side, Costner shines as a director. The action scenes are exciting, the cinematography is beautiful, and the casting is spot on. The script, though occasionally cheesy, is par for the course in Westerns. The score, however, is a bit overbearing—turn it down, Kevin!
Costner tackles important themes: the American West, manifest destiny, and the harsh realities for both Native Americans and women. He effectively portrays the tough choices faced by Natives and the limited roles of women during westward expansion.
The major issue is that Horizon feels more like a TV show than a movie. Chapter 1 is a three-hour long setup with numerous characters and storylines that only get started by the end. Costner’s approach, creating what is essentially the first season of a TV series but marketing it as a film, didn’t work. With Chapter 2’s release delayed and poor box-office performance, it’s unlikely we’ll see the rest of the series. Who wants to spend so much on what should be a weekend binge?
The film starts with a 45-minute battle, leaving little time to build character connections. Costner should have considered a streaming platform rather than trying to turn a TV concept into a theatrical experience. As the opening of a TV series, Horizon might be a B+, but as a film that won’t be completed, it’s more of a D-. My advice: cut it up, find a streaming deal, and rethink your strategy.
