Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 reviews hint at concerning future for Kevin Costner’s Western epic

Hopes were high for Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 following the first movie’s disappointing opening, but first reviews have dampened anticipation for the second part of Kevin Costner’s series.

After leaving his Yellowstone family behind, Kevin Costner set out to complete a passion project that had been in the works for over three decades. Horizon: An American Saga is the result; Costner’s four-part Western epic series, directed by and starring himself.

The first installment was released in June 2024 and opened to middling reviews, plus a disappointing box office opening. As a result, Chapter 2 was quickly removed from Warner Bros. slate of new movies. The release date for Chapter 2 is still to be confirmed, but the sequel still premiered at Venice International Film Festival on September 7, 2024.

Fans of Costner and Westerns alike had their eyes peeled for a glimmer of hope. Would Horizon pay off as the saga went on? Will the multiple storylines weave together, painting a stunning tapestry of America’s history? Based on first reviews coming out of the festival…not really.

Warner Bros. Pictures

In fact, reviews from those who have seen the second installment of the saga are essentially more of the same criticisms. They cite a lengthy runtime, an overwhelming amount of storylines, and lack of development for the Native American characters as being part of the movie’s faults.

As Variety writes: “Horizon: An American Saga – Part 2 is, as a film, fatally hobbled by its ungainly construction. And by the itching sense that the very same footage, quickly reedited for clarity, could have made for three perfectly compelling hourlong episodes of the prestige TV show that Horizon should always have been.”

Equally, Deadline states that Chapter 2 “is a collection of anecdotes lying side by side, never cohering — so far, anyway — into the comprehensive panorama of the turbulent making of America that Costner and his co-writer, John Baird, must have envisaged.”

The Hollywood Reporter’s review was in the same vein, saying Chapter 2 has “the same problems as its predecessor: too much setup and not enough payoff; jagged editing that only highlights the lack of harmony between its disparate narrative strands; and cliché-tinged production values that often make it feel corny and old-fashioned, and not in a good way.”

For more, check out our Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 review. You can also take a look at all the Yellowstone cameos in Horizon, and find out how to watch every Kevin Costner Western.