Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 (2024)

Horizon doesn’t end so much as pause. Storylines start, characters arrive, a town gets staked out, and 181 minutes later everybody is still on the way somewhere. Kevin Costner’s Western is the first of a planned four, and it plays like a lavish pilot episode. Surveyors mark out lots for a frontier town called Horizon in the San Pedro Valley, the Apache who live there want them gone, and Sienna Miller’s Frances lands at an Army post under the watch of Sam Worthington’s Lieutenant Gephardt. In Montana Territory, Jena Malone’s Lucy runs from a family out for payback. Luke Wilson leads a wagon train creaking toward Horizon. Costner, as horse trader Hayes Ellison, wanders into one of these threads and gives it the only real jolt. The landscapes are gorgeous. But the constant cutting never lets one story build. It made $38.8 million worldwide on a reported $50M. A 4.8 because the scenery is grand and the story hasn’t started yet. $5,203 says you pause it halfway to sketch a family tree on the back of a pizza box.

What works: The wide-open landscapes look terrific, and Kevin Costner brings real presence whenever Hayes Ellison is on screen.

What doesn’t: It’s all setup and no payoff, with storylines that rarely connect and too many characters to keep straight.

Who it’s for: Patient Western fans who are ready to commit to every chapter and enjoy a slow, old-school ride.