Hopes were high for Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2, following the first film’s disappointing debut, but early reviews have dampened enthusiasm for the next installment of Kevin Costner’s series.
Following his departure from the Yellowstone cast, Kevin Costner embarked on completing a passion project he has been developing for over three decades. Horizon: An American Saga is a four-part Western epic series directed by and starring Costner himself.
The initial installment, which premiered in June 2024, received mixed reviews and had a lackluster box office performance. Consequently, Chapter 2 was swiftly removed from Warner Bros.’ upcoming film slate. Although the release date for Chapter 2 has yet to be announced, the sequel had its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on September 7, 2024.
Fans of both Costner and Westerns remained hopeful for a more promising storyline. Would Horizon deliver as the saga continued? Would the interconnected plots create a rich tapestry of America’s history? Initial reviews from the festival, however, suggest otherwise.
Reviews from viewers of the second chapter indicate continued criticism. They point to a lengthy runtime, excessive storylines, and insufficient character development for Native American roles as significant drawbacks of the film.
As Variety observes: “Horizon: An American Saga – Part 2 is, as a film, fatally hobbled by its ungainly construction. The very same footage, quickly reedited for clarity, could have made for three perfectly compelling hourlong episodes of the prestige TV show that Horizon should always have been.”
Similarly, Deadline notes that Chapter 2 “is a collection of anecdotes lying side by side, never cohering into the comprehensive panorama of the turbulent making of America that Costner and co-writer John Baird must have envisaged.”
The Hollywood Reporter concurs, stating in its review that Chapter 2 suffers from “the same problems as its predecessor: too much setup and not enough payoff; jagged editing that highlights the lack of harmony between its disparate narrative strands; and cliché-ridden production values that often make it feel corny and old-fashioned, yet not in a charming way.”
Fans can explore other aspects of the franchise and learn about how to watch every Kevin Costner Western.
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