“Learn to watch real cinema,” Michael Rooker defends Kevin Costner after Horizon flop

This isn’t his first rodeo, but in cowboy country, Horizon: An American Saga gets off to a trot.

Who else but Kevin Costner likes westerns so much? After Dancing with the wolves, The PostmanAnd Open Rangethe Oscar-winning actor for best director returns twenty years later in a fourth colossal achievement, Horizon: An American Saga. All the elements of this American genre are found in this first chapter of a long series to come following the founding of the United States through the journey of those who built it against the backdrop of the Civil War: settlers, soldiers, Indians, bounty hunters, outlaws, etc. A myth that is forged with Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone and so many other well-known names. All made for the modest sum of 100 million dollars – 38 million of which came directly from the pocket of its creator. Francis Ford Coppola has MegalopolisKevin Costner has, himself, Horizonthe work of an enthusiast and a dangerous gamble.

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But acting involves risks and the actor Bodyguard is slowly paying the price. Released last week across the Atlantic, the feature film does not seem to have won over the cowboys themselves, ranking third at the box office behind A Quiet Place: Day 1.

In reaction, Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Walking Dead) who plays Sergeant Major Thomas Riordan, wanted to send a message to the public, which was reported by the American media TMZblaming Tik Tok, which he believes is responsible for the loss of public attention, and consequently the flop:

“This is real cinema, guys. Get ready. We’re not used to this. We’re not used to movies that are 90 minutes long. Everything is 90 minutes long. Come on, this is bullshit. Forget that shit and watch a movie that actually tells you a story where you get to know people, love them or hate them. It wasn’t about speed and fragmented story.”

He added : “Audiences need to go beyond that. They need to learn to watch real cinema.”

This is not the first time that this social network has been singled out by film professionals. But Tik Tok is apparently not the only culprit in this story. According to Varietyone of the reasons for this soft start would come from the format itself.

Although Kevin Costner said last May that Deadline thatHorizon: An American Saga was not a revision of Yellowstone in cinema, the fact is that many critics bring the two works on the same level. The western series created with the actor, but which will end without him at the end of the year on Paramount +, seems to have some similarities with this film. But if Yellowstone works so well, it is also thanks to its format, that of being a series. In cinema, things are different. As stated Variety : “Don’t turn movies into series.”

Horizon: An American Saga could have simply been a three-hour feature film. But it is not. Instead, viewers are faced with several episodes strung together, followed by a few months of latency before being able to repeat the experience four times – for ten hours. In our review, at Firstwe write : “It’s like watching an entire season of a long-running TV series condensed into three hours of film.”

For VarietyThe problem is this: if the public is not there for chapter 1, will it be there for chapter 2, planned for August in cowboy country and September in France?

The main person concerned by this flop, Kevin Costner, has shown himself to be optimistic. Far from being worried and aware of the pressure put on directors during the first weekends, he declared during an interview for Entertainment Weekly :

“Would I like the movie to be a huge success? Of course I would. My ego would love it and everyone would love it too. But I’m very happy that the movie you and I are talking about is exactly what I wanted it to be.”

For Horizon: An American Saga All is not lost. The film is released this Wednesday in France where it may find its audience.

https://www.premiere.fr/Cinema/News-Cinema/Horizon-Une-saga-americaine-le-projet-fou-de-Kevin-Costner–critique