Kevin Costner is risking it all for “Horizon: An American Saga.” The Oscar winner has called “Horizon” his passion project, a movie he has wanted to make for more than three decades. When he didn’t have the money, Costner co-financed much of the project himself, to the tune of $38 million. The former “Yellowstone” star could have easily made “Horizon: An American Saga” into a television series. However, Costner’s strong belief in the cinematic experience has set him on a path to make four movies.
The first movie, “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” arrived in theaters on June 28. The epic Western spans four years from 1861 to 1865, depicting “the lure of the Old West and how it was won,” the Warner Bros synopsis reads. Fans won’t have to wait long for the next installment as “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2” hits theaters later this summer on August 16.
Looking for more Westerns? Consider watching these five movies if you liked “Horizon: An American Saga.”
'Dances with Wolves'
Two things can be true: “Goodfellas” should have won Best Picture over “Dances with Wolves," and “Dances with Wolves” is a terrific movie. Don’t let the Oscar wins cloud your judgment of an epic Western with enthralling performances, sensational cinematography, and a memorable score.
At the center of “Dances with Wolves” is John J. Dunbar (Costner), a Union Army general stationed at a remote military outpost on the American frontier. After meeting a group of Lakota Indians, Dunbar attempts to engross himself in their culture, learning their language and way of life. Over time, the tribe respects Dunbar and gives him the name Dances with Wolves. When Union soldiers arrive at the outpost, Dunbar must choose between his obligations as a soldier or his new way of life with the Lakotas.
Watch on Prime Video
'Hostiles'
After collaborating on the underrated “Out of the Furnace,” Scott Cooper and Christian Bale teamed for the second time four years later for 2017’s “Hostiles.” Bale plays Joseph J. Blocker, a U.S. Army captain ordered to escort a Cheyenne war chief named Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi) and his family back to Montana. Blocker initially refuses because Yellow Hawk had previously killed several of his friends and fellow soldiers.
After facing a court-martial, Blocker reluctantly accepts the job. Early in the journey, the group welcomes Rosalee Quaid (Rosamund Pike), a widow whose family was murdered by a Comanche tribe. The trail is crawling with hostiles who want nothing more than to kill the soldiers and Yellow Hawk. Backed by visually stunning cinematography and strong performances, “Hostiles” is an effective story of redemption as each character contemplates whether they can forgive themselves for their previous transgressions.
Watch on Starz
'Unforgiven'
Clint Eastwood is arguably the greatest Western movie star of all time. In the early 1990s, Eastwood directed and starred in “Unforgiven,” his last film set in the Old West. Will Munny (Eastwood), a former outlaw and murderer, now spends his days raising two children. While on his farm, Will is approached by The Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett) with a proposition. Join him on a manhunt to find two cowboys who assaulted a prostitute. Needing the money, Will accepts the offer and recruits his friend Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) to join.
The trio travels to the town of Big Whiskey to speak with the prostitute. Upon arrival, the men realize their biggest opposition to collecting the bounty will be Sheriff “Little Bill” Daggett (Gene Hackman), the tyrannical lawman who runs the town. Beneath the violence of “Unforgiven” is a fascinating meditation on masculinity, age, and redemption, making it one of the best Westerns ever. Not everyone gets to retire on top, but having “Unforgiven” as Eastwood’s swan song to Westerns is as good as it gets.
'Wind River'
Though not set in the Old West, “Wind River” has all the qualities of a Western with a neo-noir twist. Before Taylor Sheridan introduced audiences to the Dutton family in “Yellowstone,” he explored what happens when a murder occurs on an Indian Reservation in “Wind River.” After discovering the frozen body of a young Indigenous teenager, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Agent Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) believes it might have been a homicide. His suspicions prove true when the autopsy shows signs of rape and blunt-force trauma.
FBI Special Agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) is called into town to investigate the murder. A fish out of water, Jane teams with Cory to catch the killer. “Wind River” is the best thing Sheridan has ever directed. It’s a harrowing mystery backed by an important message, culminating with a violent, explosive finale.
Watch on the Roku Channel
'Tombstone'
In the early ‘90s, two movies about Wyatt Earp came out within six months. One of them, “Wyatt Earp,” starred Costner in the titular role. Yet, the superior Wyatt Earp film is “Tombstone,” the one you should watch. Wyatt (Kurt Russell), a retired lawman, and his two brothers, Virgil (Sam Elliot) and Morgan (Bill Paxton), move to Tombstone, Arizona, to settle down.
Wyatt moved to town to live a quiet life, but a group of outlaws, “The Cowboys,” brings him out of retirement. Eventually, it leads to a legendary showdown at the O.K. Corral. While Russell plays an admirable version of Earp, the scene-stealing performance belongs to Val Kilmer’s Doc Holliday, the charismatic alcoholic who will become your “Huckleberry.”
Watch on Hulu
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