What a difference a couple of months makes. From the giddy heights of a standing ovation at Cannes for his film to having the second part of his epic saga pulled from the release schedule, it’s been a heck of a ride for Kevin Costner. You can’t fault the guy though: this is a passion project, pouring his own money into it. In a world of franchises and safe bets, you’ve gotta applaud the ambition. While Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 is an epic in every sense of the word, it feels more like a setup for what’s to come rather than its own unique and contained story.

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Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, Costner’s ambitious cinematic adventure takes audiences on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America.

 

One of the first things that will strike you with Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 is the running time. With its sciatica flare inducing (yup - true story) three hour run time, you can’t help but shake the feeling that it might just be a little too long. Even though there are another three parts planned. 

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But even in spite of this epic run time, there are still characters that we don’t really get to know. Again, they could be further developed in the subsequent installments, but there is an argument that the film could have been better served focusing on a few individuals than seemingly a cast of hundreds. 

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All that being said, Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 really does have its moments of pure cinematic grandeur. From the beautiful vistas to epic gunslinging shootouts, this is a Western of the purest form. Costner gallantly leads this epic cast with Sienna Miller and Sam Worthington in particular shinning. 

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While Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 is an epic in every sense of the word, it feels more like a setup for what’s to come rather than its own unique and contained story.