Kevin Costner’s new cowboy epic ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ panned by critics in first-look reviews

Kevin Costner’s new movie, which he has largely financed himself, has been panned by critics in its first-look reviews at Cannes.

The film – which Costner has directed, co-written and stars in – is a four-part Western drama that takes place over 15 years of the American Civil War. Costner has spent over $98million (£77million) of his own money on the project.

The film, which premiered at Cannes on Sunday (May 19) also stars Sienna Miller, Jamie Campbell Bower, Sam Worthington, Ella Hunt, Isabelle Fuhrman and Jena Malone.

After the premiere, the first-look reviews for the project were largely negative. The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney said the film was “a clumsy slog beyond saving.”

He added: “It plays like a limited series overhauled as a movie, but more like a hasty rough cut than a release ready for any format.”

Peter Bradshaw gave the film just two stars in his review for The Guardian. He wrote: “The film moseys blankly along and, aside from some mildly diverting moments, it spends 180 keeping you guessing as to when and whether it is going to be interesting.”

Variety’s Owen Gleiberman was similarly unimpressed, writing: “As a stand-alone film (which it isn’t, but let’s pretend for a moment), Horizon is by turns convoluted, ambitious, intriguing, and meandering.”

While IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzi added: “Costner flattens the American West with the dullest cinematic vanity project of the century.”

There was some positive praise, like that from The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin, who awarded the film four stars. “The film is earnest yet hopeful, with crisply drawn characters – but perhaps its full grandeur won’t be fully realised until part two,” he wrote.

Despite the reviews, the film did receive a warm reception at Cannes where he received a lengthy, seven-minute standing ovation.

Speaking at Cannes after the premiere, Costner said (via Variety): “I’m sorry you had to clap that long for me to understand that I should speak.

“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.”

Meanwhile, 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 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.”

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