The Wasteland Reviewer

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 (2024) Written Review

Are modern audiences ready for one of the most ambitious ventures in the western genre? Kevin Costner brought in great acclaim back in 1990 with Dances with Wolves which he starred and directed. In hindsight, Goodfellas is the film that really defined that year in cinema but back then, Costner raked in all the praise for his western centered around a white soldier coming together with Native Americans. After his foray into neo-western territory with Taylor Sheridan and Yellowstone, Costner is returning to the classic western setting with his new modern western in four epic parts, Horizon: An American Saga.

How does Chapter 1 play out to launch this brand-new western franchise? For being a three-hour epic…nothing of growth or progress really happens. Sure, things do happen for the three main storylines that are being told over the course of the film but none of them deliver a complete arc. This horrible trend of partial films is on full display with Chapter 1 because this all just feels like the first act of a film. Each of the storylines have some highlights but not enough to craft a compelling full narrative to make this film worthwhile. If you need to watch three more three-hour movies to get a fulfilling narrative, that is concerning. Then you look at the characters who fill out these stories and there are plenty of flat, one-dimensional characters who lean heavily into old western tropes.

Costner is trying to recreate the classic old school western feel while also updating its perspectives on Native Americans…does he succeed? From a feeling standpoint, it was a strong effort. There is a dynamic approach for shooting the film with some strong camera work and framing that captures the western elements of the story well. The production design and costuming bring this pre-Civil War world to life feels authentic. The camera can capture the beautiful landscapes of the western United States (what is almost a given for westerns). But something does feel off. There is a classic visual style that Costner is going for but the digital and sleek approach to the cinematography doesn’t quite feel right. Then you have the Native American situation. One of the most intense and impactful moments in the film is a raid a white Christian settlement by Native Americans. They are extremely brutal and vicious in the characterizations. This is reminiscent of the antiquated presentations of older westerns, but Costner tries to balance this with more screen time later. But the issue is that the film creates a “there are good ones” perspective which is not the approach you want to go with.

Does the cast elevate this sparse and incomplete material filling out this partial film? Costner is of course there at the forefront, and he brings the older man tough guy energy that brought him great renown on Yellowstone. There are plenty of other quality performers in the film with the links of Danny Huston, Michael Rooker, and Will Patton. These veteran character actors bring a lot of personality in the smaller roles that they have. Luke Wilson and Sam Worthington, who don’t always get the leading roles in 2024, get some highlighted roles in the film but their characterizations are so stereotypical and flat that there is not much to work with outside of the charisma they bring to the table. The same can be said about Sienna Miller, Jena Malone, Ella Hunt, and others.

Will Chapter 2 fare better? The strangest thing about Chapter 1 is that it has no real ending and cliffhanger to speak of, but it does offer something interesting in the end. There is a trailer for Chapter 2 right at the end of the film and it promises a big and intense follow-up that promises simply a better film than you just sat through. That is probably the most frustrating thing about this first film. You are teased with a better film at the end than the one you just spent three hours with. Overall, there are highlights but this was an incomplete experience to say the least and now we wait until August to get the next act of this four-act film.