Kevin Costner is an actor with a lot of pedigree. He has been recognised recently more for his role in the Paramount+ show Yellowstone which is soon to end. Films such as Dances with Wolves and Open Range have proven Costner to be a very capable filmmaker as well as an actor. His love for the craft shines through on the screen in a lot of memorable stories. Over the years his filmography has been building and building and we have now reached his magnum opus. His passion project is an epic western titled Horizon: An American Saga. It is so epic that the story is being split between four films! Each film releasing three or so months between each other. The first film, Chapter One, is currently playing in cinemas.
Horizon is the name of a settlement which is vastly growing in numbers. At the start of the film an Apache tribe attack the inhabitants of Horizon and slaughter many of them. This sets the tone of the film early on. The violent nature of the film is something that is present throughout as the narrative shifts and focuses on other characters, but also reminding us that the wild west was a harsh environment. After the destruction of Horizon some locals find shelter at a local army camp and from here we intersect with other characters and other stories. Costner himself stars in the film alongside some heavyweight actors that include Danny Huston, Jena Malone, Sam Worthington, Sienna Miller, Luke Wilson and thats just to name a select few. The film explores each character with enough depth and charm to make you believe in them.
Horizon is an ode of the classic western genre and a lot of the visuals, score and props does remind you of this. As the film progresses you do begin to learn about more characters and you do slightly forget the other characters introduced earlier in the film. It is a careful juggling act trying to balance all of these characters and it is a lot but the narrative soon settles and the story fits between each encampment quite nicely where it keeps you wanting more, even if some of the stories do not end up leading anywhere yet and instead hold off until future instalments. In some ways this approach reminds me of the Tarantino westerns, where the story jumps about and progresses in a way that makes the passing of time more seamless. Costner knows what he is doing though and his ability and confidence in filmmaking makes Horizon an enticing and thrilling watch.
You can argue that Horizon is too ambitious and it could have been a bit more self-contained. In this film landscape however most people like myself are used to films leading into other films, making the film industry mimic that of the television industry. In that regard Horizon is basically a big budget television show played out on a big screen and it does feel like that more time to time. The scope is there though and the landmarks and scenery all feel part of a bigger world. The characters are written cleverly even with some droll dialogue every so often but the end result is a satisfying western that tries and succeeds in entertaining audiences.
★★★☆☆
3/5
Final Verdict:
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter One certainly feels like it has the scope of a traditional western, from sizzling vistas to classic town shoot outs. The story is ambitious and there are many characters at play. Luckily the cast has some exceptional talent ranging from Sam Worthington, Sienna Miller, Michael Rooker to Luke Wilson and many more. You can tell this is the first part in a bigger story, and it does feel like it sometimes too. The film paces along nicely with a Tarantino-edge to it. There are some stories which do not go anywhere but the film promises to explore more of these characters and the journey to a new Horizon in upcoming films. Let’s just hope the next chapter is as exciting as this one.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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