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HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA - CHAPTER ONE

Starring: Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Rooker, Danny Huston, Jena Malone, Michael Angarano, Abbey Lee, Jamie Campbell Bower, Jon Beavers, Owen Crow Shoe, Tatanka Means, Luke Wilson, Ella Hunt, and Tom Payne
Director: Kevin Costner

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QUENTIN

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Horizon - Chapter 1 is tough to review because, frankly, it’s not really a movie. Or at least it shouldn’t be. It’s like watching the first three episodes of a miniseries, which means it’s mostly just introducing a sprawling number of so-far-unrelated characters. There is very little development on any front, and nothing remotely resembling a typical multi-act story structure. The best way to describe it is “just western vibes,” so fair judgment probably should be reserved until after seeing Chapter 2, if not Chapters 3-4. Still, the acting, cinematography, and production design are very well done, and I’m invested enough to see the sequels through.

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PRESTON

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I can force myself to be a patient man when necessary. And I’m willing to invest three hours of my time to develop a complicated intertwining of characters, lay a solid foundation, and build necessary tension. The problem is that Horizon does very little of that in Chapter 1 of this American Saga. With a few obvious exceptions, the acting and script are only so-so, and the plotline is disjointed. There is still a subtle hint that this epic western film series will turn out to be a massive success, but it is too hard to tell from this single outing.

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ADRIANO

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I love the existence of Horizon - Chapter 1 much more than the movie itself. A multi-part western theatrical epic co-written, directed, and starring Kevin Costner sounds great, but although I can handle long, slow-burns, I struggled to stay awake for this. It feels like a History Channel movie, and the storytelling is nonexistent as it goes from one unrelated plotline to the next with no reason to care. I'm not as hostile at the prospect of watching Chapter 2 as I was with Rebel Moon, but I have no interest in the future of this saga.

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