I can see why some people will absolutely love Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1. For me, this is something I feel I would have enjoyed far more if I had waited to watch it at home. Hey, I respect the hell out of the vision of Kevin Costner here and it is awesome how in 2024 we have this big epic Western being shown in a theatre.
How to Download Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 was released on June 28, 2024. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you want to see more movies produced by Kevin Costner, check out Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Bodyguard, or Waterworld.
The Movie Review
The title of Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is not a gimmick, this is 100 percent the first part of a saga and it feels like a movie that is here to set up other movies. One of the things that is kind of cool though is that this and Chapter 2 were filmed back to back so Chapter 2 is actually releasing in just a few weeks. However, Kevin Costner has said that this is going to be a four-part saga so there is plenty more to come.
Kevin Costner’s Passion Project
This is an absolute passion project from Kevin Costner and the fact he put his own money on the line shows that he has a ton of faith and love for this story. He directs, stars, and was part of the writing team for the script as well. Interestingly, while he is the focal point of the trailers and advertising, his character does not come into the movie until around an hour or so.
A Complex Narrative
That is what is going to make or break Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 for you. Not that Kevin Costner is not in the movie the whole time, but the vast amount of characters that are here. There are so many different characters and plots going on, it is completely understandable that someone would get lost. In many ways, the way the movie is presented feels more like a TV show or a mini-series than a movie.
Engaging Characters and Stories
As far as the characters I found interesting go. The love story between Sam Worthington’s soldier, First Lt. Trent Gephardt, and Sienna Miller’s Frances Kittredge was fantastic stuff. I really liked both these characters and their story of how they became close was probably the highlight of the movie for me.
The other character that I thought was fantastic was Caleb Sykes. Caleb is played by Jamie Campbell Bower, who you may know from the last season of Stranger Things. Caleb is as brutal and as vicious as they come and he is a “scalp hunter” and the movie does not hold back in this regard. The cast in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is just insane and I am not even going to attempt to tell you all the names.
A Visual Masterpiece
I love the ambition here of telling a story that takes place over four years from 1861 to 1865 and from what I understand, each movie is going to showcase several more years as the West is formed. If you love Westerns I am sure you will get a kick out of the scale here and while I said that this would have been better as a TV or a miniseries, however, this movie looks amazing! From the vast open of the Old West (I am sure it was filmed in Utah) to the incredible Old West towns, this movie looks amazing.
Final Thoughts
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is a good Western, but at around three hours, this is a very long movie to sit through. However, it was still a very good movie even if I was feeling that long runtime by the end of it. If you have not already seen Chapter 1, I would maybe consider, holding out and waiting for this and Chapter 2 to hit streaming so you can watch them at your own pace.
