Spoilers are ahead for key plot points in Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 1.
Summary
WithHorizon: An American Saga—Chapter 1, Kevin Costner beat Netflix’sStranger Thingsto a shared actor’s major character death — and it serves as a tease of the (hopefully) satisfying conclusion toStranger Thingsseason 5. Written, directed, and produced by Costner, who also leadsHorizon’s cast,Chapter 1is the first in a planned four-part epic movie series. Unfortunately, a lotwent wrong with Costner’sYellowstonereplacement. After getting panned by critics,the first installment in the Western saga grossed $34.3 million in theaters, which convinced Warner Bros. to pullChapter 2from its theatrical release schedule.
While the future ofCostner’s $100 million Western franchiseis unclear, its release on streaming platform Max could prove beneficial. Since production on the third and fourth installments is already underway, both Costner and Warner Bros. have invested a lot into the multi-movie project. A slow-burn exposition dump,Horizon Chapter 1’s endingteases that more compelling threads are ahead for the saga’s characters. Although very little went right for Costner’s passion project,Horizon— in a very weird twist of fate — does give viewers a sense of what to expect fromStranger Things' highly anticipated villain death.
Kevin Costner’s Horizon Chapter 1 Kills Jamie Campbell Bower’s Villain Before Stranger Things Season 5
The Actor Received Praise For His Villainous Turn In Stranger Things Long Before Horizon’s Release
Although Costner leadsHorizon’s cast of charactersas Hayes Ellison, the saga’s ensemble is packed with top-notch performers, including Jamie Campbell Bower (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones). After landing major roles in franchises likeFantastic Beastsand theTwilight Saga,Bower received massive critical acclaim for his portrayal of Henry Creel — also known as the monstrous Vecna— inStranger Thingsseason 4. An entity from the Upside Down, Vecna haunts his victims with searing visions of their traumas before brutally murdering them. Unfortunately for the Hawkins gang, Bower’s malevolent being survivesStranger Thingsseason 4’s ending.
Jamie Campbell Bower… cut his villain chops in Stranger Things.
The mastermind behind all the events of the series,Jamie Campbell Bower’s Vecnawas experimented on as a child — much like Mille Bobby Brown’s Eleven. Unlike El, however, the super-powered Subject 001 is a misanthropic psychopath. His true nature, combined with the fact that he’s the ruler of the Upside Down, makes Vecna a true force to be reckoned with. Bower may have cut his villain chops inStranger Things, buthe leans back on this strength inHorizon, playing the equally psychopathic Caleb Sykes. Thankfully, however, Bower’s Caleb is killed by Costner’s Hayes inHorizon Chapter 1.
Stranger Things
Stranger Things is a Netflix series set in the 1980s, where the mysterious disappearance of a young boy leads a small town to uncover secret experiments and supernatural forces. A significant focus is on a peculiar girl who may hold the key to the unfolding mystery.
Why Stranger Things Season 5 Is Taking So Long to Make
Stranger Things season 5 is one of Netflix’s most anticipated projects, but by the time it releases in 2025, fans will have waited three years for it.
Jamie Campbell Bower’s Death Scene In Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 Is Excellent
Kevin Costner’s Character Kills Bower’s Caleb Sykes In A Shootout
About mid-way throughHorizon: An American Saga—Chapter 1, Hayes Ellison kills Caleb Skyes in a thrilling shootout. Earlier in the film, Lucy (Jena Malone) shoots the menacing James Sykes (Charles Halford), prompting the Skyes family’s matriarch (Dale Dickey) to send her sons after Lucy, who flees south to Wyoming with her own son, Sam. Married to felonious businessman Walter Childs (Michael Angarano) and living under a new name, Lucy takes a trip to one of her new husband’s “gold-rich” land sales. However,the land buyers are none other than the Skyes brothers, Caleb and Junior(Jon Beavers).
The subsequent shootout in Lucy’s home ends with Hayes killing the villainous Caleb.
Caleb brutally murders Walter before ordering his men to kidnap Lucy. Afterward, Junior instructs Caleb to hunt down Sam. Before leaving home, Lucy had entrusted her co-resident, a sex worker named Marigold (Abbey Lee), with watching over Sam. In a twist of fate, one of Marigold’s customers is horse trader Hayes Ellison. When Caleb turns up to get Sam,Hayes realizes that the unhinged Caleb will kill anyone in his path, including Marigold. The subsequent shootout in Lucy’s home ends with Hayes killing the villainous Caleb.
Stranger Things Season 5 Is Sure To Copy Horizon Chapter 1 & Kill Jamie Campbell Bower’s Villain Again
Netflix’s Stranger Things Must End With Vecna’s Death
AlthoughHorizonbeatStranger Thingsto killing off one of Jamie Campbell Bower’s most malevolent characters,it’s clear that the Netflix show’s fifth and final outing will also end with Vecna’s death— one way or another. InStranger Thingsseason 4, it’s revealed that, in the past, Eleven overpowered Bower’s character, sending him to the Upside Down, where he gradually transformed into Vecna. Whether or not thedarkestStranger Thingstheories about Vecnacome to pass, it will be even more satisfying to see the Upside Down’s ruler die than evenHorizon’s monstrous Caleb.
Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 1is streaming on Max.
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 is set in 1859, following families as they settle in territories from Wyoming to Kansas. The narrative centers around a cowboy on the run with a prostitute and a young boy after a deadly confrontation, exploring the challenges of life in the Old West.
