Rating 4/10
The last time Hollywood produced a sprawling Western drama of this sort was in 2015, when Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight graced theaters. Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is the sort of genre movie that nostalgic film lovers lament they don’t make anymore. And if this boondoggle is any indication, we may have to wait another nine years before they make another. (Kevin Costner completed Chapter 2 before this flopped at $36 million worldwide against a $50 million budget.)
Horizon is set between 1859 and 1863 and spans from Wyoming to Kansas. We follow a diverse cast of characters who navigate the harsh realities of frontier life. The film introduces assorted story threads as tensions rise between the frontiersmen and Native Americans. Among the Indigenous, tribal elder Tuayeseh (Gregory Cruz) seeks peace. Likewise Taklishim (Tatanka Means) appears a bit more calm, while Pionsenay (Owen Crow Shoe) takes a more defiant stance.
On the settlers’ side, a missionary (Angus Macfadyen) arrives in Horizon to find murdered homesteaders. Lucy (Jena Malone), hiding under the alias Ellen Harvey with her baby. She is on the run after shooting the abusive James Sykes (Charles Halford). She seeks refuge with her new husband, Walter Childs (Michael Angarano), but is tracked down by vengeful Sykes family members Caleb (Jamie Campbell Bower) and Junior (Jon Beavers).
The Kittredge family, led by Frances (Sienna Miller), face a brutal Apache attack where they must fight for survival. For the U.S. Army, Lt. Gephardt (Sam Worthington) and Sgt. Major Riordan (Michael Rooker) try to protect the migrants, while Russell Ganz (Etienne Kellici) and the townspeople seek revenge.
Kevin Costner is prominently featured as the star on the poster. Yet his supporting character does not appear until over an hour into the picture. I guess also being the director and a producer has its privileges. He plays a horse trader named Hayes Ellison, who forms a bond with Marigold (Abby Lee), a prostitute who sets her romantic sights on him.
Horizon attempts to present a nuanced portrayal of the Wild West by offering the perspectives of both the pioneers and Native Americans. Unfortunately, a compelling chronicle remains elusive. The distended cast and intertwining stories lack the focus needed to garner interest. By trying to encompass all the viewpoints, it fails to develop any. The screenplay, co-written by Costner and Jon Baird, is a jack-of-all-trades, master of none.
The presentation needs energy and enthusiasm. The details are vague, and that lack of clarity dampens interest. You’d think human survival amidst the violence on the prairie would form the basis of a gripping fable. The account teases this idea but fails to deliver the thrills. It contains all the excitement of setting the table for a banquet that never happens.
This is the first of a proposed four-part series. Chapter 2 debuted on September 7 at the Venice Film Festival. A general release date has not been announced. Meanwhile, Chapter 1 has been streaming on Max since August 23. The meandering plot works better on TV anyway, where it can be sampled in hour-long segments. Even the ending offers an upcoming montage to tease the next episode to keep viewers engaged. Although I wasn’t tempted to “tune in tomorrow.”
08-25-24