Kevin Costner’s Horizon Bets Big, Feels Small but Assured

Review by Rob Hinkal

Kevin Costner is back in the saddle as director, co-writer, and star of his newest outing, Horizon: An American Saga – Part 1. A three-hour-long epic setting up various plotlines set before and after the American Civil War, it will be followed by three sequels. The second of which was set to release in August but was pulled from the calendar after Part 1’s lackluster performance at the box office 

I had some pretty low expectations going into this one. With a pretty abysmal Rotten Tomatoes score and its aforementioned disastrous box office performance, I was cautiously optimistic but ready to walk out feeling like I had wasted the three hours I spent in Kevin Costner’s passion project. Much to my surprise, I was actually pretty happy with the film. 

This is as Part 1 as a movie can get. Its storylines do not reach a resolution or conclusion and are rather just set up with some plot progressions in each one by the time the credits roll. Many viewers and reviewers have remarked that this should have been a mini-series, and I can completely see why. This feels like, had it been broadcast on network television or made available on a streaming service, it would have worked perfectly as a multi-episode event. Some films just work better when you can hit the pause button. With Horizon, I did have to wonder if I would still watch the series up to the point of the film’s conclusion if I was able to walk away at any point with the option to drop back in. Likely not unless recommended to me by a friend. 

There are some electric sequences in Horizon, and Costner shows that he still has the goods when it comes to creating captivating set pieces and moments of tension. One of the standout scenes in the film consists of nothing more than two men talking whilst walking up a hill. But between these moments is a great deal of switching between plotlines, not all of which are as interesting as the others, which can get pretty boring. Oddly, the scope of Horizon feels somewhat diminished at times. I am not exactly sure why, but there were many instances throughout the film when it felt as though the reach of the story exceeded the budget (which Costner contributed to himself). Can’t deny that the scenery on display here is breathtaking though, with the American West continuing to be an awe-inspiring setting and showcased in some beautiful ways throughout the movie. It also can’t be denied that despite its runtime and thematic flaws/production constraints, I do plan on seeing the sequel. By the end, I did care enough about the characters that I was truly invested in seeing where they end up next. The trailer for the second film which concludes Part 1 shows off some footage from the sequel and it does look very exciting. Hopefully, it moves at a more constant pace than its predecessor. 

It didn’t need to be three hours long and almost certainly would have attracted a greater audience had it been a miniseries, but alas, Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga – Part 1 is playing in theaters now and is available on video on demand. 

3/5 Stars