‘Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter Two’ Review: Kevin Costner’s Western Epic Trudges Ahead With a Slightly More Watchable Sequel

As a seasoned gamer of Western-themed narratives, I’ve ridden many a virtual horse through dusty trails and frontier towns, so when it comes to Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2, I can say with some authority that it’s like trotting along the same path as its predecessor, but this time with a slightly more engaging storyline.

In the United States, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 was recently released as part of Kevin Costner’s four-part film series, which has so far received negative critical feedback, puzzled audience reactions, and underperformed at the box office.

In my gaming perspective, this three-hour slice of Wild West drama at Venice feels similar to its predecessor, packing the same issues: excessive setup without enough satisfying resolution, choppy editing that highlights the disjointedness among its storylines, and overused production values that can sometimes make it feel dated and cheesy, not in a nostalgic way. It seems tailored for those who adored Kevin Costner’s Western epic Dancing With Wolves in the past and his recent TV success Yellowstone. As a gamer, I’m always looking for something fresh and engaging, but this feels more like revisiting an old game level with familiar challenges.

Nevertheless, surprisingly, Chapter 2 turned out to be more entertaining than Chapter 1 for this reviewer. It might just be due to feeling drained from continuous exposure to Horizon, as I watched the previous one late before seeing this segment. Since there’s no “recap of the last Horizon episode” montage available here, it could have been the familiarity over a span of six hours that developed, if not satisfaction, at least a kind of cinematic captivity syndrome.

As I found myself deeply invested, I couldn’t help but hope that the enchanting widow Frances (Sienna Miller) and the sensitive, married soldier Trent (Sam Worthington) would finally give in to their feelings and share a moment together. However, will this captivating tale draw enough viewers and generate enough revenue or interest for Costner, New Line, and Warner Bros. to invest in the remaining two films? Frankly, it seems as unlikely as Trent returning from the front lines of the Civil War unscathed.

It might be the increased focus on female narratives that makes Chapter 2 more captivating. The struggles of Frances Kittredge and her 13-year-old daughter Lizzie (Georgia MacPhail), who were already significant characters in the first installment, appear to occupy a larger portion of the narrative in this sequel. We witness the emotional farewell between Frances, Lizzie, and Trent as his orders arrive for him to fight for the Union back East. Although he doesn’t wish to go, it’s a war he can support, having grown disillusioned with the West’s Manifest Destiny ideology that demands he suppress the Native population to allow more settlers into towns like Horizon and nearby Union. After Trent departs, mother and daughter must return to Horizon to rebuild their homestead, which was destroyed in the previous film during an Apache attack.

In this part of the story, while Chapter 1 offered a relatively convincing portrayal of indigenous perspectives, especially their responses to intruders on their territory, their role is sparse, largely restricted to secondary characters who have assimilated into white culture. The sole exception is young Sacaton (Bodhi Okuma Linton), a barely adolescent who survived a reprisal attack that annihilated his family, who develops a clandestine friendship with Lizzie and shares Native insights about nature.

As a gamer, I often find myself immersed in virtual worlds where diverse communities are represented. In this game, it’s the Chinese community that carries a significant presence, spearheaded by Mr. Hong (Jim Lau), although his mother, Cici Lau, and daughter, Phoebe Ho, wield subtle influence. They all make their grand entrance in Horizon, accompanied by a soundtrack that, unfortunately, leans heavily on Orientalist music, complete with zithers. Their goal? To establish a tea house and sawmill, conveniently timing it just right for Frances to secure lumber for her new roof.

I found myself joining forces with a wagon train I’d encountered earlier, guided unwillingly by Matthew Van Weyden (Luke Wilson), who yearns to journey West alongside his quiet wife, aiming for minimal casualties. This is why, when the wicked Laplanders Sig (Douglas Smith) and his brute of an “uncle” seemingly slay the effete Brit Hugh (Tom Payne) to violate his wife Juliette (Ella Hunt) repeatedly and seize his wagon, we in the wagon train choose to ignore the atrocity rather than confront it.

It’s up to the daughters of Owen Kittredge, Frances’ brother-in-law who hasn’t been informed about his brother’s demise, to aid Juliette in escaping her captors. Amongst these young women, Diamond, Owen’s daughter, stands out as the most inventive and defiant, showing a fierce spirit that seems tailor-made to advance the storyline in upcoming episodes.

Ultimately, Hayes Ellison, portrayed by Costner, demonstrated his sharpshooting skills in a critical gunfight during the previous episode, leading him to work with horses at a trading post that isn’t Horizon. This storyline meanders for a while without much direction until Ellison encounters another chance to use his firearm. Meanwhile, Marigold (Abbey Lee), a sex worker, surprisingly conceals herself in the crawl space beneath her brothel to escape a group of troublemakers. On another note, Pickering (Giovanni Ribisi), the enigmatic publisher-developer whose Horizon advertisements keep surfacing, boards a train.

Many characters adhere to familiar stereotypes – such as the noblewoman who endures much, the gunman with a troubled history, the distinguished African American officer, and the blunt, no-nonsense woman – but the script by Jon Baird and Costner tries convincingly to give them depth when it can.

The dialogue in this work is seasoned with the colorful slang from 19th century America. Occasionally, there are phrases that sound like cherished lines a screenwriter might save, though some feel overused. However, there are a few lines that stand out enough to be included, such as “This country is longer and crueler than anyone realizes,” spoken in voiceover, which carries a deep impact and recalls the powerful imagery of Louis MacNeice’s description of the world as “crazier and more vast than we can comprehend / Inherently diverse” in his poem “Snow.” _Horizon_ may not be entirely unpredictable, but it certainly embodies that inherent diversity.

Speaking about artistic contributions, J. Michael Muro’s cinematography continues to shine, given the stunning Utah landscape with its vibrant light and rich earth tones of red and orange. Lisa Lovaas’ costume design is equally captivating, evoking a subtle prairie-inspired charm, and if this series was a streaming production, it could have popularized block-print calico and intricate smocking details as much as ‘Bridgerton’ did for empire-waist gowns and eye-catching sleeves.

2024-09-07 16:26

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