Good or bad, I’m glad to see him make a very clear passion project, outside of a very corrupt Hollywood system. It’s great to see someone take such a big risk, and I hope it inspires more people to take big, *new* risks.

Costner: I have a plan for a 4 movie western series telling the stories of the Apache, a frontier widow and the US Cavalry, a wagon train, and a young woman looking for a new start. Producer: Sounds great, which story will the first movie be about? Costner: Yes.

I have huge respect for Kevin Costner. He’s the last of a dying breed of filmmakers that puts his heart and soul into his passion projects and his fascination and genuine love for the old West has delivered some of the great modern westerns. Dances, Open Range, Wyatt Earp and now this, his magnum opus. Using his own money to get the movie made and the genuinely wise observation that ‘movies are more than their opening weekend’….he just gets it. His love and dedication to this genre are moreorless singlehandedly keeping the western alive, which is both uplifting and sad in equal measure. I know I’ll be watching ‘Horizon’ many years from now, long after all of the popcorn fluff has disappeared from memory. For that, he deserves immense credit. Old school movie star and a gifted director. We’re lucky to have him.

I saw Horizon: Chapter One opening weekend and loved it. Three hours flew by, I didn’t want it to end. Thankfully, we have 3 more chapters to enjoy. I’m a bit of a history buff who has lived in the western US most of my life and I appreciate this film as an authentic presentation of the people who “won the west”. It’s a great movie. I’ll see it again before Chapter Two is released next month. -- Please note that Rotten Tomatoes critics give this film a score of 41 while the audience gives it a 71. I don’t understand why critics and Hollywood don’t appreciate Kevin Costner’s work. The Postman and Water World are great films, audience favorites, and yet critics still talk about their opening weekend box office disappointments.-- So dear audience, go see Horizon. It is magnificent, a masterpiece of Western storytelling. Chapter One is just the beginning.

The one advantage to current modern Hollywood releases is that they make Water World and the Postman look like masterpieces.

You have to respect the man for putting his own money into it.

I really liked it. Costner is playing the long game with the storytelling, so we might not see playoffs to some of the threads he left open until part 2 or 3. He's treating these movies like a mini series or streaming show except in a 1950s epic style. It's not really catching on, but the effort is appreciated. Definitely not a boring movie

As an older person (53) this reminds me of something that would've been made into a NBC/ABC/CBS mini-series like North and South and Roots were.

‘Open Range’ is one of the greatest Westerns ever made. If Costner is directing, I’m there.

This movie honestly felt half its runtime. It's good to see Epics again that aren't superhero films.

I saw a review of the movie by an actual cowboy. He said if you like the old John Wayne movies from the 50's, 60's, and 70's then the run time and story are great. But if you need a lot CGI and not very complex story then you will be bored. It was made for old cowboys like Kevin Costner and Sam Elliot.

I'm just grateful that actors like Costner are still producing unique movies.

My wife and I saw it and we both loved it. I didn’t mind the run time and felt that breaking the movie into the different sub plots and stories helped to hold my attention for the entire 3 hours. I am excited for the next chapter to come out next month.

I'm not surprised that various Hollywood studios would pass on a film about masculine men portraying traditional values

I doubt Drinker has ever seen Lonesome Dove, but for those of us who loved this classic, this is like a homecoming. This is AMERICA, unashamed, sometimes morally ambiguous, yet full of resolve and love for our enemies.

Loved it. Very well written, very tense and violent in parts. Hayes (Costner) and Caleb's (Campbell Bower) confrontation is incredible. You see Natives depicted as determined and merciless killers in one scene, and relieved to be returning home to their families alive in the next. Theres only one way to win in Horizon, survive, and if you're really lucky, you'll still be able to look in the mirror afterwards. The many threads of the plot were easy to follow, desperate people heading towards the same destination, unified in a daily struggle for survival. The cinematography needs to be seen on the big screen to be believed. And it was an unashamed story of America, with every available good and every available evil depicted in equal measure. Solid 8/10

Waterworld is so damned underrated

I’m glad he’s back making early American westerns again. Open range was awesome

the postman is my guilty pleasure. i know its not great but i love it

Saw this movie today. About 3 hours long, with end credits. I loved it. I truly did. Can't wait for part 2.

As a lover of Westerns, I rather enjoyed it. It felt very traditional, and even though it was long, I never felt bored since it had a lot going on. I look forward to seeing how all the different stories connect. Sure, it felt TV show-ish, but I'm glad he chose to make it a cinematic experience.

I went and saw it on the 4th of July. It is a slow burn of a movie, but I could tell by the end what it was trying to accomplish. It is a sweeping drama of America’s greatest adventure, westward expansion. The West was an unforgiving place and brought out the best and worst of people. I will definitely go and spend another 9 hours of my life to see the end.

While I understand these criticisms, and I think they may be responsible for the low box office turn out I must say that I haven't enjoyed any movie as much as this one in years. I had no trouble following the many different threads and found each one fascinating. As for the run time, the 3 hrs. seemed to fly by. Loads of well staged action and costuming was spot on. I have only one quibble, cap and ball pistols being loaded with cartridges. Oh well. If you haven't seen this movie, I for one highly recommend it.

Movie starts, bunch of stuff happens that's hard to follow, movie ends. Modern movies in a nutshell.

The Postman was a terribly underrated film. Will Patton’s performance as Bethlehem was second to none.

Horizon was an absolute incredible film!! Loved it! It’s a classic western for people who love classic westerns. It’s NOT for your “average” movie goer. I love that Kevin Costner didn’t hold back and just made exactly the film he wanted to make. It’s raw, it’s violent and it’s historically accurate!!! It’s not confusing…it’s 3 separate groups of people, in different parts of the country, all dealing with their own ordeals all while heading to the new settlements of Horizon in the Southwest. It’s no different than a classic Western novel. I wish films like this got more recognition and credit. It’s refreshing to see something in theaters that isn’t “superhero” related, isn’t a reboot, or a sequel and it’s not full of 2024 “identify politics” or any political jargon that seems to attached to everything nowadays.

With a Costner film, I want to be absorbed into and lost in this world, not just entertained. 12 hours of gritty, beautifully photographed escapism is fine with me.

I just saw Horizon today. It was my second time seeing the movie. My first viewing a week ago left me confused and disappointed, but I gave the movie a second chance and I'm glad I did. It is actually a great movie on the level of Dances With Wolves. If you've seen the movie once and did not enjoy it so much, go back and see it again. It is much easier to follow seeing it a second time, and you will get into the multiple story lines and the different characters. I am looking forward to the sequels. Kevin Costner has done a fine job with this movie. The movie critics thrive on bashing movies. Be your own critic, and view a movie more than once to see and absorb it fully.

I loved it. It was great. No cgi. No agenda. Men acting like men women acting like women. And it's very well done. All the ingredients that modern hollywood hates.

Let’s just appreciate a film that an actor has put so much money and passion into. In a time where Hollywood is passionless and out of ideas. Good on Kevin 👏

This is a solid film! The time flew by, definitely worth your money!! Completely unwoke.

I saw it tonight. Absolutely brilliant. Montage at the end just wanted me to watch Chapter 2 straight away. Soundtrack is also very good. 👏👏👏

Open Range, Dances with Wolves, and the Untouchables are great movies, and yes Waterworld and the Postman are what they are. I admire Kevin Costner for taking chances and tackling passion projects. Honorary mention for *Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.* Fantastic and timeless movie!

Loved this movie. A bit chaotic, but the stories are very captivating. Its a love letter to the genre.

I haven't seen Horizon yet, but I think Kevin Costner's best Western films are Silverado and Open Range. Wyatt Earp was decent, but it's hard to come behind an instant classic such as Tombstone.

3 hours x 4 movies? Should have been conceived as a Netflix series right off the bat. Instead of of being a movie flop it might have gotten more success on that format. Who cares if its not as 'prestigious'.

Costner has basically created an entirely new film format with the way he is releasing Part I and Part II just a month apart. To me, this signals that the first two parts are basically meant to viewed as a single film, and I think judgement of the first part should be reserved until the 2nd part is released. It doesn't seem fair to critique this the way you would any other standalone film. I personally was captivated by the set up in Part I, and look forward eagerly to Part II.

Why are many people saying costner can't direct? Dude, have you seen open range or dances with wolves?

Also don't forget how great its actually to have a real set instead of just a pure CGI spew on the screen

Open range is one of my favorite westerns. I might be able to stay awake through Horizon. Thanks for the review CD

Major props to him for putting his own money into what he wanted to see on the screen. We clearly need alternative avenues / channels for entertainment.

In my opinion Costner had one of the best comebacks ever. After several failures coming back strong in Yellowstone, a fucking Western that amazes even an Austrian in middle Europe.

Costner in his wheelhouse is an excellent act. Keep in Westerns or around a baseball and there is no one better.

Lord have mercy, I had forgotten several of the plot threads Drinker rattled off. That being said, the closest I’ve come to crying in a movie theater was when Frances’s son stayed to fight the Apaches with his dad, knowing they were both doomed. Can’t wait until this is out on Blu Ray to watch with my father.

I'm just glad he's got the passion to follow a very dear project of his. His last labour of love, Dances with Wolves, is still one of my favourite movies of all time.

Drinker you forgot about the young kid's quest for vengeance storyline, where he finds that vengeance was not as satisfying as he thought it would be. Seeing all the people he grouped up with use this quest as a way to get rich, or satisfy their hatred disenchants him from what he believed to be a noble cause.

Here’s how I see Chapter 1: it’s setting up everyone eventually converging on the settlement of Horizon itself. The flyers encouraging people to move out there and make a claim for themselves are in every setting this movie shows, so I think I’m the next one is when we’re going to start seeing the storylines gradually converge into a more cohesive plot. For what it is now, I think it’s alright. It’s the first western I’ve ever seen in theaters, and I got to see it with my dad, whose favorite genre is the western. A memory of time spent together I’ll cherish

I'm one of the few that actually loved Waterworld and The Postman. They're both different than the rest of the movies of their time in their own way. And I just loved them both. Besides if Waterworld was so bad, why would they make it an attraction at Universal Studios?!

When did intermissions go out of style? With ads, previews, and the movie itself, they’re really pushing the limits of the human bladder.

Costner films are like the miniseries we used to have in the 80s. You can see a 2 hour episode 2 the next night, not wait a year to forget everything.

I’d still like to see it. Westerns are one of my favorite genres of movies. His direction and starring of his film Open Range has made that film one of my favorites.

Honestly, I've always loved Costner. I don't know why no one talkes about "Mr. Brooks". Just like any longstanding career, he's had his lulls, but I think he's always fantastic.

Anytime I see such a drastic difference on Rotten Tomatoes between critics and audience ratings, with the audience being majority positive by a wide margin, I know it is a film that I will likely enjoy.

Saw Horizon pt 1 yesterday. Absolutely loved the film! Yes...three hours is a wee bit to sit through without a break but there wasn't much of a lull in the action at any point, The scenery is magnificent and the script and acting are top notch. It has to be viewed on the largest screen possible to be thoroughly appreciated.

Hi. You always express yourself well in your reviews. For me though I have to say I had a really great time seeing this on the big screen and was not at all put off by the multi strands to the story. The 3 hour run time whizzed by and although I didn’t like that it just ended with a montage of clips for chapter two, I appreciated that this was a chapter and not a “part one” which to my mind falls more into the territory you are talking about where you traditionally accept that it may work as a stand alone film with some resolution to some of the story. I seem to be feeling more and more passionate about the film since I saw it a week ago and I really look forward to chapter 2. I did also make a short video with some spoiler free comments but you certainly speak more fluently than me. Cheers!

Water World was amazing! That opening battle scene in the water town was an epic practical effect masterpiece!

This movie isn't for everyone, but I had a great time with it, and am looking forward to the next three. I expect that someone at some point will make a fan edit to cut each narrative into its own movie.

if people can happily sit through 12 hours of the extended version of LOTR, they can sit through 12 hours of frontier storytelling. If he's smart he'll release them all pretty quickly like one every year. Because unlike LOTR, this doesn't have a built in fanbase to sit in hours long lines just to watch it.

I enjoyed the film and am very much looking forward to the next part. I knew there were 3 main storylines going in, but there's so much going on with the first 2 stories that I was little taken aback by the late introduction of the 3rd one with the Luke Wilson-led wagon train. It's very much like the Yellowstone prequel 1883, but since I've already seen that type of story told over 10 hours, I feel like this section doesn't bring enough new to the table to extend this movie to 3 hours. The first hour of the film was excellent though.

Sounds like the kind of mini-series I'll enjoy watching at home. I gave up on theaters a long time ago.

My parents and i went to see this movie in theaters and we enjoyed it regardless of the length and multiple storylines going on.

I swear Kevin Costner is incapable of directing a movie that’s less than 3 hours long.

I enjoyed Horizon, and I hope it can show that passion projects can still happen in the modern movie industry.

Apparently Part 2 is in post-production Part 3 has already started filming Maybe we'll see a finished product, but this screams something that'll be loved more down the line than it will upon its release. Just something in my gut tells me that. The main thing that puts everyone off. The thing we are all sick of is.. that goddamn 3 hour run time. I hope it includes an intermission of some sort, because damn.

"Bill Durham" Drinker hit the sauce early and hard

Waterworld is a timeless classic

No matter how good this could have been, it never would have justified him walking away from Yellowstone.

Horizons was incredible. It is like Open Range, Dances with Wolves, the Searchers, and Once Upon a Time in the West. I love it.

I spent my childhood and teen age years devouring all classic westerns. I get it, Costner you are a true fan of good cinema, we are kindred spirits. 😉🙏

Super excited to see this. I am tired of “modern” movies Hollywood have been putting out. This should be refreshing

I gotta say that even the short clips you show here are visually absolutely stunning. This is BBC nature series levels of cinematography. It makes me want to see it just for this.

It really makes me wonder if it would have benefitted just from being a stand-alone film, especially since we've already been spoiled with a slew of films that cried for sequels that never were. Along those lines, I'm wondering if it would have been entirely successful as a miniseries. I like Kevin Costner - his Dances With Wolves is one of my Top 20 Favorite Films of All Time (it came out when I was 5, I even remember the ads on the counter of the Pizza Hut promoting its release), and when he plays to his strengths, he usually overcomes whatever limitations he has on either side of the camera. And he also stays true to his form. Sadly, though, even I can't deny that he's reaching for the stars while he's already way past his prime, and if this entire quadrilogy is to be his late-life masterpiece... well, I don't want to jump to conclusions but he's really reaching for the moon at this point.

Horizon is a great movie. My maternal great grandparents were homesteaders in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Montana. I will watch Horizon's remaining chapters with great interest.

I liked it, but it was a bit long, and I love westerns. My wife, who doesn't like westerns, loved it and had no idea it was long. 🤷‍♂️

Great videos as always, Drinker! Cheers! From Brazil.

I'm glad you covered this because I didn't know this movie existed until this video. There has been zero press in Germany or Denmark that I've seen. It's in theatres now in Denmark but not until late August in Germany

If water world is as horrible as everyone claims then call it my guilty pleasure because I love it.

I loved it I couldn’t believe I sat through such a long film without being bored. The duel scene with Costner was insane.

I loved the movie. All of the criticisms here I actually found to be benefits to the story. I also didn’t find the film meandering too often. The first 20 mins were absolutely drawn out and boring but after the attack on Horizon I was invested. I’m really looking forward to the rest, but I can see how some people wouldn’t enjoy so many story lines at once.

If not for the lack of a resolution, this would be my favorite film of the year so far. It's a masterclass in cinematography, music score, sound design, set design, costume design, world-building, and acting. "Late Night With The Devil" still holds my #1 spot, but we'll see if that changes when "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2" comes out. Great review, Drinker!

Wyatt Earp, Open Range, Dances with wolves, absolute epics. Just hope this is the same level.

I classify it as a history art piece more than a movie. It’s like a glimpse into the life on the frontier during the 1800s.

Watched this yesterday. Your review is spot on. There are pacing issues, there are parts that really take too long and are drawn out, and the length and format (four 3 hour long movies) isn't what people are looking for these days. It's a strange thing watching a 12 hour long epic, in 3 hour chunks in a movie theater. Most people are not that hard-core about the topic to endure that. This seems perfect for streaming, in say 12 pieces each an hour long. But I think Costner is old-school enough he wants this to be in movie format shown on the big screen. I do have to say, I believe the accuracy of his film from a historical perspective is pretty good. The Native American situation was very complex, with many, many tribes, and a lot of them being in constant war with one another and who would happily side with the white man to kill other Native Americans. Pretty much every group out there (military, etc) had Native America guides. The movie did a good job showing them integrated into various situations (like hiring 6 of them to attack a vulnerable Indian village, which they happily did), and them warring against one another as proxies of the white man (or is that vice-versa?). My hunch is this will do very well streaming as one big epic series.

The problem with passion projects is that there is nobody around the passionate creator to tell them "No".

Waterworld and the postman were ahead of their time.

I really wanted to watch this so I'm glad you've checked it out Drinker. Also, Horizon Part 2 got pulled from its August release date in theatres so people can watch the Part One at home on digital first. Hoping Horizon 2 still comes out later this year

This was actually one of my Grandpas Writings 40yrs ago. He died back in 2017. He was one of the last ppl who cared about Westerns and kept up the Western Channel on Starz as the one who built it. He also wrote the Last Gunsmoke Movie as well.

saw it last week. Going to watch it again before it leaves the theaters. Loved it. So did my girlfriend. I'm hoping it gains momentum with Part two. Sometimes things take a second to take hold and then draw more people in. One thing I noticed about those in attendance, is that it skews to an older crowd. Me as well - I'm 54. I hope it succeeds.

Open Range was amazing in many ways.

Watched this with my dad and grandpa. We will be watching the saga when the rest come out

I didn’t want the movie to end! Had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I really hope we get to see the completion of the saga!

On the plus side, the montage at the end gives the impression that they filmed all 4 parts simultaneously - and if they release them 6 months apart or less, that'll work pretty well in it's favor.

Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves remains one of my favorite movies, ever.

Hopefully, the quadrilogy gets better as it progresses.

I respect the approach and the commitment to go all in. I'm all in with Kevin Costner on this. RESPECT!

The series Deadwood set an unpassable height for westerns for me

A thing that I appreciate on Costner is that his first priority is art, and money comes only second. A lot of good art in history exists only because someone wanted it and was willing to pay what it takes to get it. It doesn't always turn up to be good, but well... there is always such risk.

My thought watching this, this is the sort of thing that back in the day would have been a GREAT mini-series, or in the current day a PERFECT limited series that would blow away the vast majority of what's being thrown out now.

Have my tickets for tonight, will watch this video when i have seen the film. Haven't been this exited for a film in a while.

Whatever, I loved this movie. It's the kind of thing you'll watch on a weekend when the wife and kids go out of town. And if he sticks the landing with the others, all the fragmented feelings won't matter. I'm very excited to see the rest of them, which is more than I can say for much else these days.