On the Horizon (2015) User Reviews

Superb.

[plucsenecal · 8/10 · 4 August 2015]

Some people will not like this movie because it has a thin storyline. It did bother me, since I'm very story-driven, but still, it managed to sustain itself, thanks to an outstanding effort with ridiculously few resources which amounted to great results.

Superbly shot, with a magnificent 'natural' cinematography, and a fantastic soundtrack, which contributed in great part to the film's efficiency, although I wonder why it's abruptly interrupted for no apparent reason many times during the movie.

There's a good amount of clichés: slightly overdone acting, dreamy sex scenes, everyone in the movie looking like models, and everything being so perfectly detailed and intense. Despite that, the relation at the heart of the movie is not exaggerated in anyway, and we might very well find ourselves sounding exactly like the characters in the movie.

The ending maintains its credibly, since neither of the characters get full closure and never do we feel they are judged for their actions, which could have been real deal-breakers for the story.

All in all, Québec has talent, and this movie is the proof. It is beautiful, a work of art from a true artist, and Payant, the director, writer, editor, can be proud of himself.

Could have been better

[DreamVividly · 7/10 · 17 May 2023]

I liked it but didn't love it. It was visually beautiful, the scenery & locations were great and the acting was fairly good. But the lack of storyline and lack of depth in the characters are just something I can't overlook.

I just needed more from this story. I just didn't get the sense that they were really meant to be together. It was more like obsession than love. The Christine girl he met toward the end seemed like a better match for him than Elissa. She's too reckless and can't seem to figure out what she wants and has a lot of soul searching to do. The ending was a bit disappointing as there was no closure and it wasn't much of an ending. The entire movie just felt underdeveloped and unsatisfying in the end. I really wanted to love this and it was in my watch list for over a year especially after I saw all these 10 star reviews. So I guess I had higher expectations of this being an epic love story but overall it simply was not. It was an entertaining watch but mostly a teaser of what could have been a great love story.

Very disappointing and boring

[topsi91 · 3/10 · 10 June 2023]

I was so excited to watch this film. It was nearly impossible to find it so I bought it and what did I watch? I watch my money go to waste... The actor is so handsome, but the storyline is boring, unclear, confusing.. it starts from nowhere and it goes nowhere. All the 10 star reviews are probably from people of the crew or something like that.. The film was extremely boring, lacking storyline, emotional impact.. the actress didn't have any talent in my opinion. There were few nice scenery scenes, but that was it. A friend of mine also watched it and he said he was so bored that he didn't even finish watching it.. :(

You are just basically giving postive ratings for the stances and scenery without too much character developement

[jordondave-28085 · 5/10 · 4 September 2023]

(2015) On The Horizon DRAMA

It is reminiscent of a Terence Malick movie disguised with a boy pining for a girl scenario peppered throughout. Anyways, according to database, Pascal Payant is credited on nine different occasions. 'Costumes', 'camera operator', 'sound designer & mixer', 'production design', 'editor', 'cinematographer', produced, written and directed by Pascal Payant that has Casey (Tyler Johnson) making out and spending time with his girlfriend Amy (Jessica Morris), a successful businesswoman of some kind. All is okay until Casey receives a call from a former flame, Elissa (Sandy Leddin), and he decides to go and meet her, leaving his current girlfriend, Amy high and dry. And by the time he does pick up Elissa, the first thing Casey wants to do is discuss their relationship going forward. The fact that he had a good thing going, until she like, called him, which in some retrospects both kind of deserve each other since I can't quite put my finger on what he does for a living, showcasing a single scene of him taking pictures that might mean, he's a photographer!!! I dunno. He drives her to the middle of the Utah desert for the intention of arguing with her some more. By the time they go back to the city, Elissa then decide to crash at her friends place, Kate (Kristen Kerr). And Casey borrows Kate's motorcycle and rides it out to the middle of the desert with Elissa sitting behind him so that he can argue with her some more, before he puts a necklace around her neck. Still at Kate's place by the time Casey wakes up, Elissa is suddenly gone, leaving him with the necklace he put around her neck on the pillow. The next thing we know, she is with her old boyfriend, Aaron (Alex Lundquist) in France we do not know too much about, who has just rented an expensive chateau from a guy named Sebastien (Emmanuel Curtil). And from what I can see, Aaron seems like a pretty cool guy too, who appears to be an entrepreneur. He takes her to a club, and he does not appear to recognize her, and as soon as he asks her to wait for him- she doesn't. Elyssa just goes and try to call up Casey again, which means that he must be the rebound guy if and when Aaron is unavailable. The reason why Casey this time does not answer, but he does leave his current fling riding his friends motorcycle himself to the desert again.

What I like about this movie, is the respect to other peoples property even though in actual reality, people do steal things all the time, as well as break things. What I do not care about is the perception of the Elyssa character who appear to act like nothing more but a pretty face, who has no job or to have any ambitions, other than to do what ever she feels like. In other words, my perception is that she is a hoochie, and that she did not exactly break up with Aaron or vice versa as Casey's name was never brought up, it is just that she needed a sexual partner whenever Aaron is not available. Casey is nothing more but a fill in since Aaron works a lot. What the movie does not answer is, even if Casey does respond to Elyssa after she has called him, how the heck is he going to get over there to France, as it looks like he hardly has any money of his own, or how long does he have to wait for her if she does come back to Utah. That scenario would be quite awkward.

Poetry of pain and love.

[chaylittlefield · 10/10 · 12 August 2015]

Unbelievable considering the pittance of a budget. I did my best to fact check this as it has gorgeously stunning cinematography and solid acting. It truly is a showcase of what talent and determination can accomplish. I had never heard of Pascal Payant but I'm now a fan, I can't wait to see what he creates as his career unfolds. It's a story of love, lust, pain, and reality that most of us have come to know. A dizzying cocktail of the above that stirs and resonates. You admire and simultaneously despise the characters as they blissfully, yet recklessly swirl through their relationships, nearly poisoning all that care. Amazing locations are brought down to reality as Casey and Ellisa bring "our" own story and faults to the table. It's a healthy look into selfishly unhealthy emotions we have all felt. I highly recommend this film to anyone, especially if you appreciate beauty in all its forms. The characters are mesmerizing and flawed. Everything comes together in a surreal but sober work of mind and heart.

MESMERIZING!

[betsylewistxrh · 10/10 · 28 February 2018]

This movie is visually STUNNING! Absolutely, one thousand percent, one of the best films I've ever seen! POETIC, HAUNTING & with so much depth, it will stay with you long after. The actors are positively GORGEOUS, but there are so many levels of complexity to the characters they depict. The sceneries are ETHEREAL. The music is truly CAPTIVATING.The story line is so COMPELLING, you will continue to think about and reflect on it long after the ending. This film makes you FEEL to the extreme. The PASSION is off the charts! If I had to describe it in one word it would be INTENSE, in a way that is indescribable but incredibly SATISFYING. ! If I had missed this film, I would have always felt a void. It's one of those movies that make you say "Wow, THIS is what I've always been looking for my whole life!" It is truly a BRILLIANT piece of ART! Pascal Payant is a force to be reckoned with, a VISIONARY & a breath of fresh air!

Deep and realistic

[deathproofofficial · 10/10 · 28 October 2017]

Just so amazing, so much emotion mix with the best style.

Very artistic, Pascal Payant sees beauty and is capable of exploiting to its highest point. Awesome music! So sweet and dark at the same time.

love it.

A few script issues but it's wonderfully shot and a solid feature directional debut.

[mr-deftino · 10/10 · 28 January 2016]

I'll say that Pascal's directional debut is nothing short of stellar. It has a few issues in the first 30 minutes with weird arguments and slow pacing, but once the movie really gets going it finds its feet well and sneakily engages you. Casey is an enjoyable character to watch, even if he is a bit of a dick. It's thoroughly engrossing watching his relationship with Elissa evolve and change over time.

From a technical standpoint the movie is rock solid, with a brilliant soundtrack and absolutely mesmerizing cinematography. The director was going for a moody and dreamy feel, and that's what he made. I think making a film with a low budget and simple hard work to find your success is very inspiring, and I'll be adding Pascal Payant alongside David Sandberg on my inspiring directors shortlist. Kung Fury and On the Horizion are polar opposite movies, but they are both a work of passion and devotion and I have the utmost respect for films born from that.

In a nutshell I'll say that if you like Drive, you'll like On the Horizon, and I do suggest you give it a watch. It's not for everyone, but I found it thoroughly enjoyable and wonderful to look at.

Beautiful. Simply Beautiful!

[JenJenHum · 10/10 · 13 August 2015]

They say that people can love so much it hurts. I believe this to be true and I believe that we have all, at one point or another, loved so much it hurts. Sometimes it is the hard relationships that have the biggest payout, whether it be in learning who we truly are or getting to be with our soul mate forever. On The Horizon is a beautiful film that puts a very difficult and hard relationship, and where those involved love so much it hurts, under a microscope. It is a film that all of us can relate to, because, we have all lived it at some point and time. The film uses a brilliant score and very aesthetic pleasing and breathtaking landscape to evoke emotion throughout the film. There is not a moment that goes by that one is not entranced in the relationship between Casey and Elissa. Their pain, love, and lust leap off the screen in a vivid way; and given that this film was low budget, that in of itself is a spectacular thing to see. Payant was able to capture the beauty of Utah and the stunning scenery of France all the while telling a story of loving so much it actually hurts. Tyler Johnson is magnificent as Casey, he allows the audience to not only see what is happening on screen, but more importantly, allowing us to feel what he is feeling. He takes the audience on the roller coaster that is his relationship with Elissa and how he lives so differently when he is with her vs. to without her. Sandy Leddin is fantastic in the role of Elissa. We both love and hate her and is what some might call a bitch; however, Leddin, easily allows the audience to see how much this character is actually hurting and how she is trying so hard to fight her true feelings for anyone or anything that she just continues the cycle of hurting herself and those that love her. Elissa is edgy, mysterious and frail; and Leddin does a fabulous job of navigating all those with ease. Notable mentions are Jessica Morris, who plays Amy, so fantastically that it hurts. What a great talent. Another notable mention is Kristen Kerr who plays Elissa's best friend. Kerr is perfection as Kate and I could not imagine anyone else playing this role. And the beautiful Jade Harlow who plays Christine so wonderfully that you may believe she just might be the one to ease Casey from his pain of loving someone so much it hurts, if only she is given the chance. Hats off to Payant who used his resources well, directed a beautiful film, and told a magnificent story of love and life. I highly recommend finding this film and watching it. You will not be let down.

Panoramic Glimpse of Love, Lust, and Freedom

[bicycledays · 10/10 · 25 March 2016]

"On the Horizon", a drama-thriller, the first feature film by writer/director/cinematographer Pascal Payant, is, quite simply, a triumph. The film is a joy to watch, with spectacularly beautiful scenery, fantastic soundtrack music, and interesting character development.

Watching this movie, I felt as if I was taken on a journey--both emotional and physical-- by the cinematography and the music.

The protagonist in "On the Horizon" is Casey, a handsome, motorcycle-riding photographer who enjoys the benefits of his good-looks and his suave charm that enables him to lure models to bed. At first glance, he appears to have it all. But, does he? Despite Casey's penchant for fast vehicles and wild women, he longs for intimacy with a woman who he can trust.

These two opposing forces--the freedom to rise above the mundane and the desire to have someone trustworthy enough to share his life with--war within him.

In this movie, the locations, the cinematography, the music, and the actors who inhabit this landscape, all combine to make "On the Horizon" a film that is unique and mesmerizing, memorable. Watching it, I could almost feel the heat rising from the screen.

This film is a fantastic rumination on the nature of relationships. At the end of the day, we are left to conclude that human nature has no warning signs.

Watch "On the Horizon". This movie will change the way you see the world.

Stunning in every way :)

[Mandaleigh123 · 10/10 · 31 January 2016]

Objectively and subjectively, this movie is outstanding! I can't say anything but good things about this film. For a film with such a low budget, the director did an amazing job combining a great storyline, ethereal scenery, and mesmerizing soundtracks. The framing of each scene, and development of characters were all very clever, and well executed..something you don't find much of these days. What I like most about the movie is that the director takes the universal theme of "love" and showcases it in a very real and raw way. Your sure to connect with one or more of the characters in some way.

I am positive you'll enjoy this film! It'll have you feeling every emotion on the spectrum, and will leave you wanting more of Casey and Elissa! Enjoy!