There are 10 scenes inHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1that prove Kevin Costner’s Western epic needs to continue, and his three sequels need to be released. After thepoor box office performance ofHorizon - Chapter 1, the second installment in Kevin Costner’s franchise was delayed by months. Despitehow much money Costner has spent onHorizon, it now seems that the entire series is in jeopardy, as he has yet to secure funding for the third and fourth movies. If he can’t find someone to help financially,Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2may be the final part of his Western saga.
Part of the reasonHorizon: An American Sagahas had so many troubles is because of the sheer scope of what it’s trying to accomplish. Since the start,Horizonhas been billed as an epic, sprawling saga celebrating the West and Westerns. That’s no small task, and the first offour plannedHorizonfilmswas never going to be able to deliver on all the franchise’s promises. Despite all the troubles Costner and his franchise have had,Horizondeserves a chance to finish its story, and these 10 scenes prove that its epic Western tale needs to be seen through to the end.
10The Apache Raid On Horizon
Horizon’s Early Scene Was A Great Indicator Of How Dark & Exciting It Can Be
One of the earliest scenes inHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1also proved that the franchise is extremely capable of creating stunning and intense action scenes. The initial raid on the eponymous Horizon settlement by an Apache war band was visually stunning, ruthlessly brutal, and it proved that the franchise’s scale is worth it.With the first raid on the town,Horizonproved that it can show tragedies on a huge scale while also finding time to focus in on individual people, like the Kittredge family, to get every side of a massive conflict. It was early proof thatHorizonreally is a Western epic.
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1is available to stream on Max.
Not only did the raid on Horizon prove very early on that the franchise was capable of both spectacular action and intense, personal storytelling, it also set the foundation for a huge chunk of story.From the Apache tribe’s decision-making about what to do with white settlers to the Horizon survivors trying to balance vengeance with hope to the Army’s response, the raid on the town serves as the cornerstone of all theHorizonmovies to come. Now that the stakes surrounding Horizon have been set up, the town needs to see its final fate.
9Pionsenay Confronting Tuayeseh & Splitting The Tribe
Native American Characters Are Three-Dimensional In Horizon, Which Needs To Be Shown More
Another scene that provesHorizonis special among Westerns was Pionsenay’s (Owen Crow Shoe) argument with Tuayeseh (Gregory Cruz) after the raid on Horizon.Their conversation showed thatHorizonis capable of handling sensitive subjects, like the displacement of Native American people during the Westward Expansion, and giving everyone involved real depth, nuance, and motivation. It also proved that whileHorizonis a love letter to the Western genre, it isn’t afraid to closely examine and correct the mistakes the genre made in the past by giving Native American characters more agency and making them more sympathetic.
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On top of what Pionsenay and Tuayeseh do forHorizon, their conversation is also a sign of what’s to come in the rest of the franchise. The central argument between the two, of whether to fight or flee the ever-approaching white settlers, is a fascinating philosophical argument.Through Tuayeseh and Pionsenay, futureHorizonmovies can take a deep dive into the myth of the Old West and the moral problems present at the time, which is perfect for such a massive epic. Those questions are worth asking, and the next threeHorizonmovies are worth it just to see if they can be answered.
8Gephart, Houghton, & Riordan’s Conversation About Horizon
Horizon Is Big Enough For Self-Reflection & Thoughtfulness
In the same vein as Pionsenay and Tuayeseh’s conversation,another great moment inHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1was the conversation between the Army officers Gephart (Sam Worthington), Houghton (Danny Huston), and Riordan (Michael Rooker). Their conversation covered everything from the very idea of Manifest Destiny to the eventual fate of Native Americans, and it handled those topics in a thoughtful and reflective way. In a way, their conversation is one of the best pieces of proof thatHorizonis already living up to its promise to be an epic Western tale.
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If a story doesn’t have room for several types of moments, from intense, suspenseful action sequences to slow, somber moments of thoughtfulness, then it can’t really be considered an epic saga.Gephart, Houghton, and Riordan’s conversation provesHorizonis more than capable of including all types of stories. Kevin Costner is creating a massive world with theHorizonfranchise, and the Army’s storyline is one of the best indicators of just how complete his celebration of the West could be, as long as it gets to the finish line.
7The Sykes Brothers Finding Ellen Harvey
Ellen & The Sykes Show How Well Horizon Can Build Suspense
While slower, somber moments are important to an epic saga, there also has to be moments of intensity and suspense.One such moment inHorizon - Chapter 1was when the Sykes brothers finally caught up to Lucy (Jena Malone), now known as Ellen Harvey, and her husband, Walt (Michael Angarano). The way Junior (Jon Beavers) and Caleb (Jamie Campbell Bower) interacted while interrogating the couple, the way everyone’s tensions flared, and the violence the whole situation escalated to was a great example of howHorizonis able to include some great drama and suspense.
Out of all the scenes in Horizon - Chapter 1, the meeting between Ellen and the Sykes' probably introduced the most interesting threads for future movies to explore.
Out of all the scenes inHorizon - Chapter 1, the meeting between Ellen and the Sykes' probably introduced the most interesting threads for future movies to explore. From the mystery of why Ellen shot James Sykes to the mystery of why the Sykes brothers want her son, Sam, back so badly, their entire conflict is one of themost interesting storylines inHorizon.That conflict is only going to get more intense and exciting asHorizoncontinues, and this scene proves that whatever the future films have in store will be just as suspenseful and thrilling.
6Hayes Ellison’s Shootout With Caleb Sykes
Horizon Has Nailed Shootouts & Western Action, & The Sequels Will Only Be Bigger
Another great moment from the firstHorizonmovie that shows the highs Costner’s franchise is capable of was Hayes Ellison’s (Kevin Costner) shootout with Caleb Sykes.It was only a small one-on-one shootout, but Hayes and Caleb’s walk up the hill, their awkward conversation, and the moment when the bullets finally flew proved thatHorizonhas already mastered the classic Western gunfight. The whole 10-minute sequence was a masterclass in suspense building and dialogue as Caleb and Hayes went from cordial to antagonistic to openly hostile. Then, the actual gunfight had so much impact and gravity that it was nothing short of awesome.
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IfHorizoncan already do a shootout as well as the one between Hayes and Caleb, there’s no telling what the future holds.Trailers for futureHorizonmovies have already shown that more bullets are bound to fly, and that Hayes is going to find himself in the middle of the action again. Those future fights are almost sure to be bigger, more complicated, and more intense than the one inHorizon - Chapter 1. With such a great starting point for the franchise’s action, theHorizonsequel needs to happen to see just how amazing its fight scenes can be.
5Riordan Introducing His Mother To Frances & Elizabeth
The Riordans Prove Horizon Has A Lot Of Heart & Earnestness
Even though the action inHorizonadded quite a bit to the story, there were other slower moments that increased the franchise’s depth even more.One important scene was when Sgt. Major Riordan introduced his mother to Frances (Sienna Miller) and Elizabeth Kittredge (Georgia MacPhail). The scene started out extremely humorously, with Mrs. Riordan (Elizabeth Dennehy) intimidating and beating up some soldiers who were trying to move her furniture. Then, it quickly transitioned to a somber tone as Riordan opened up about his deceased daughters and shared his story with Frances.
For all the sweeping vistas and intense shootouts ofHorizon, these quiet moments are what really prove that the franchise can live up to its massive scope and that it has the legs to tell a satisfying story for three more films. The meeting between the Riordans and the Kittredges was filled with heart, emotion, and great character moments.That’s whatHorizonis really about: the people who lived and died in the West, not the Western itself. Those characters are at the core of the entire franchise’s reason for existing, and this scene proves thatHorizonhas a very good reason to continue.
4Matthew Van Weyden’s Standoff With Birke & Sig
The Wagon Train Could Get Much More Interesting As Horizon Continues
Of all the converging storylines inHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1, the wagon train got the least attention and screen time. While it wasn’t a priority for the first film, it did still have some great moments that proveHorizonneeds to be finished.Perhaps the best example, one that proves how complex and intricate the story can be, is the confrontation Matthew Van Weyden (Luke Wilson) had with the peeping Toms, Birke (Roger Ivens) and Sig (Douglas Smith) after they spied Juliette Chesney (Ella Hunt) bathing.
Van Weyden confronting Birke and Sig was a tremendous setup, and the next Horizon movies have to follow those tantalizing threads to a satisfying conclusion.
The best part of the wagon train confrontation, and why it provesHorizonneeds to continue, is that it created such an intricate knot out of a storyline that was barely featured in the film.The wagon train had the least screen time, yet this one scene introduced the idea that even helpful settlers can pose their own problems, that Van Weyden isn’t as competent as he seems, and that the wagon train could face some serious problems, like a water shortage. It was a tremendous setup, and the nextHorizonmovies have to follow those tantalizing threads to a satisfying conclusion.
3Frances & Trent’s First Kiss
The Horizon Epic Is Big Enough For Frances & Trent’s Romance
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1is a very dark story for the most part, but it also had some moments of levity and lightness. A great moment in the first chapter was when Frances Kittredge and Trent Gephart began their romantic relationship with a kiss.Ever since they met, Frances and Trent had great chemistry, and their romantic subplot is a welcome addition to the franchise. Seeing their relationship continue to grow, and the challenges they’re bound to face, is one of the most exciting parts of the future ofHorizon, and it also serves as proof that the franchise should continue.
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Another great part of Frances and Trent’s relationship is its thematic significance. Frances is one of the most tragic characters inHorizon, as she was displaced during the raid on Horizon and had to watch her husband and son die violent deaths, yet her relationship with Trent is a great sign of hope.Horizonhas a lot to say about the West, from the way it reexamines Manifest Destiny to the way it recontextualizes Native American people as a complex group.For all its serious and heavy topics, however, Frances and Trent prove thatHorizoncan be just as hopeful and uplifting as it can be thoughtful and somber.
2The Massacre At The Apache Village
Horizon 1’s Last Massacre Showed There Will Be Plenty More Dark Moments
While Frances and Trent added quite a bit of light and hope toHorizon, the franchise’s darker moments are far from a bad thing.In fact, a big reason Costner’s epic should continue is so that it can continue to get to the bottom of its darkest and most uncomfortable questions. One of those questions is posed by the Horizon raiding party that attacked the Apache encampment towards theend ofHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1. The survivors are a confounding group of characters because their revenge is somewhat justified, but their methods are far from reasonable.
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The survivors' retaliatory raid essentially poses the inverse of the question Pionsenay and Tuayeseh presented: when is violence justified, and what kind of unintended consequences could it carry?It’s an intriguing question, and both the survivors' and Apache tribe’s scenes prove thatHorizonis approaching it in a competent way. It’s exactly this type of complicated moral dilemma that should be expected from an epic saga as large asHorizonis, and the first film proved that the franchise deserves a chance to dive even deeper into its tough questions.
1The Montage Of Future Horizon Chapters
Horizon Deserves A Chance To Finish The Story It Started
The scene fromHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1that most proves the sequels are necessary is the film’s final moments. At the end ofHorizon - Chapter 1, a montage of scenes from the upcoming films played and hinted at where the saga is heading next.Kevin Costner has already filmed all ofHorizon - Chapter 2and even parts ofChapter 3, and it’s very clear that he has a complete vision that shouldn’t be altered. The montage proves thatHorizonwas always supposed to be four parts of one large story, and Kevin Costner’s ambition and passion are reason enough to let him finish the franchise.
The montage proves that Horizon was always supposed to be four parts of one large story, and Kevin Costner’s ambition and passion are reason enough to let him finish the franchise.
Aside from the fact thatHorizonis one of the most ambitious franchises in a long time, the bits ofHorizon - Chapter 2that the montage revealed painted a fascinating picture. The snippets of drama between Frances and Trent, of Hayes' lonely voyage West, of Pickering’s (Giovani Ribisi) fliers, and several other storylines, prove thatHorizonhas plenty of compelling moments left in store. More than anything, however, the montage proved thatHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1was just the start of something truly special, and it would be a shame to stop the entire franchise based on an underperforming start.
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
Cast
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 is set in 1859, following families as they settle in territories from Wyoming to Kansas. The narrative centers around a cowboy on the run with a prostitute and a young boy after a deadly confrontation, exploring the challenges of life in the Old West.
