Actor Kevin Costner’s new film, Horizon: An American Saga, which he has largely financed himself, has failed to impress critics in its first-look reviews at Cannes Film Festival. The four-part Western drama, which Costner has directed, co-written and stars in, takes place over 15 years of the American Civil War, and the Hollywood star has spent over $98m of his own money on the project. Other actors in the film include Sienna Miller, Jamie Campbell Bower, Sam Worthington, Ella Hunt, Isabelle Fuhrman and Jena Malone.
The first-look reviews for Horizon were largely negative. David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter called the film “a clumsy slog beyond saving”. In his review for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw gave the film just two stars, stating that “the film moseys blankly along and, aside from some mildly diverting moments, it spends 180 minutes keeping you guessing as to when and whether it is going to be interesting”. Owen Gleiberman of Variety was similarly unimpressed, writing: “As a standalone film (which it isn’t, but let’s pretend for a moment), Horizon is by turns convoluted, ambitious, intriguing, and meandering.”
Despite the poor reviews, the film received a warm reception at Cannes, where Costner himself received a lengthy, seven-minute standing ovation. Speaking after the premiere, Costner said: “Such good people. Such a good moment, not just for me, but for the actors that came with me, for people who believed in me who continued to work. It’s a funny business, and I’m so glad I found it. There’s no place like here. I’ll never forget this – either will my children.”
Last week, Costner opened up about his decision to leave TV series Yellowstone, having previously been reported to have departed the series to focus on Horizon. In a new interview, he disputed claims that this was the case, alleging the Yellowstone team was not telling the “truth”. The star claimed that filming for Horizon was scheduled for his days off filming the show, telling Deadline: “I fit it into the gaps. They just kept moving their gaps.” Despite Costner’s disappointment with Yellowstone, Horizon’s mixed reviews are unlikely to have eased that feeling for the Hollywood veteran
Read the full article on NME here: Read More