Horizon An American Saga Chapter One (2024) Film Review and Reaction: Absolutely Baffling

#horizonanamericansaga #filmreview

This is my attempt to review and react to the absolutely baffling execution of Horizon An American Saga Chapter One. I have been thinking about this for over a week and the execution of this concept is still absolutely BAFFLING. This project whether it reaches completion or not will be studied and analyzed for years to come. It is an extremely admirable effort but seems to have been done with the least attention given to planning, structure and overall execution.
I also review the APPALLING AMC Theaters experience of seeing the film in a small hall with basic 2K projection which is how the vast majority of people have to see the film. The upcoming 4K UHD release in homes will be immeasurably superior and underlines how the film blurs the line between tv series and feature film.

00:00 Introduction and setup
03:29 Longstanding passion project, leaving Yellowstone, film precedents, Horizon has no literary or writer source
11:14 Open Range
13:40 Horizon itself-the production and odd factors are the star,blurring the lines between tv and feature films
16:53 This project should be studied for how baffling it is in execution
17:37 Extreme editing issues-no cohesion at all for the storylines
19:30 Took the wrong notes from How The West Was Won and doesn't understand that film's structure
21:34 Trying to describe the plot..is difficult..as they mixed script pages from TV episode scripts
22:22 The film is a sensory experience
22:56 There's not enough plot for 3 hours of runtime. Everyone and everything is shortchanged.
23:44 Not everything is properly setup. The audience has to pay extra attention. MANY things not properly executed.
24:28 Example of the boy with two horses during night chase
27:50 Rough location captions only
28:29 The editing is a gigantic problem-it really doesn't work
28:44 The photography is always close, few open shots, impossible to get visual orientation throughout..looks very TVish.
31:54 Used 1.85:1 and a digital shoot with modern color grading
33:27 The STUPID decision to employ an analog intermediate! MANY shots look odd and processed.
39:17 The VERY quick 52 day shoot for the whole film. They rushed it.
40:40 Even decent setpieces are subdivided into different storylines
41:33 There are some practical effects, but plenty of obvious digital work thrown in.
43:05 All the performances are good. But they are shortchanged entirely by the film itself!!!
44:20 My own plan for better implementing this "saga" across multiple films and better allocating the budget
48:52 It seems enough lined up to go do this now and they went off half cocked
50:50 The line is blurred between tv and film-it would play better as a tv series
51:24 Constant referencing or echoing of iconic landmark and classic Westerns seemingly for no reason which feel empty and only remind you of what once was that you could be watching instead
56:03 I'm reminded of the inherent story issues of Red Dead Redemption II. But at least it's consistent in how it tells its story.
58:53 You still admire the film and the balls of putting your own money in. BUT this is BADLY flawed from the execution.
01:01:58 The ending sudden montage of the next chapter
01:04:45 Intermission and display change...
01:04:57 The POOR QUALITY Theatrical presentations at chains with no premium showings and AMC MAKES MOVIES WORSE. The quality is better at home.
01:19:47 If Costner walked into any average theater and saw the presentation he would lose it. We HAVE to get the industry to care about presentation quality
1:20:29 The home presentation will be technically better to such a degree the theater experience is worthless
01:24:36 Final Summary of sorts-a strange baffling project that one supports for the audacity of the project and not the film