HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA - CHAPTER 1

Beginning in 1859 and spanning 3 different stories over 3 different states, it follows western settlers dealing with their own circumstances on the new land. Director Kevin Costner's Hayes Ellison is on the run from a local gang after shooting one of them dead with Marigold (Abbey Lee) and a 2-year-old child in tow. Sienna Miller's Frances Kittredge and her daughter Elizabeth (Georgia MacPhail) survive an Indian attack but are rescued by an army battalion. Finally a caravan of settlers lead by Matthew Van Weyden (Luke Wilson) are trying to avoid a similar Indian attack as well on their way to beginning a new life out west. I can see why Chapter 2 isn't going to be distributed in theaters and why this didn't make a lot of money in the theaters: the film's dull. The only story I was even semi-invested in was the one with Frances and Elizabeth Kittredge. Almost the first third of the film there's a few characters on screen we're barely introduced to, no connection is made with them, and by the time the other stories begin to take shape, it's a little hard to win the audience over when they may have already tuned out. Not Costner's best western and while I'll probably watch Chapter 2 to see how it ends, my expectations aren't going to be very high. 5.5/10