I didn’t expect “Untamed” to grip me the way it did. Netflix’s new wilderness-set mystery thriller looked, at first glance, like your standard slow-burn six-episode series: brooding lead, scenic drone shots and just enough murder to justify the “thriller” label.
And sure, it has all of that. But it also has something I didn’t see coming, which is actual momentum.
The series puts Eric Bana in the leading role as Kyle Turner, a National Parks agent called to Yosemite after a woman is found dead. At first, it seems like a tragic climbing accident. But Turner, who’s got just the right amount of baggage and that thousand-yard stare required by all streaming detectives, isn’t so sure.
What follows is basically a classic murder mystery, just with fewer city streets and more moss-covered rocks. Along the way, he’s paired with a rookie ranger, runs into old colleagues and keeps finding himself in situations where you’re not sure whether the biggest threat is a person or a bear.
And yet, I was into it. “Untamed” fully embraces its identity as a solid, serious show with a hint of self-importance and it does so confidently. So if the idea of a murder investigation set in a national park sounds even remotely interesting to you, chances are you’ll want to stick around for the whole thing.
Here’s why “Untamed” deserves a spot on your Netflix watchlist now that it’s streaming, even if it’s just for the scenery.
What is ‘Untamed’ about?
“Untamed” follows Special Agent Kyle Turner (Eric Bana), a seasoned investigator with the National Park Service’s elite Investigative Services Branch. When the body of a young woman is discovered at the base of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, the initial assumption is a climbing accident. But Turner suspects something more sinister.
Teaming up with rookie ranger Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago), Turner begins to unravel a trail of inconsistencies that point toward foul play. As the pair dig deeper, their investigation leads them into the park’s vast, treacherous backcountry where clues are scarce and dangers are plenty.
Turner is soon forced to reconnect with Paul Souter (Sam Neill), an old friend and Yosemite’s long-serving chief ranger, as well as confront tensions with his ex-wife Jill Bodwin (Rosemarie DeWitt), a counselor working inside the park. With time running out and more bodies surfacing, Turner finds himself at the center of a far-reaching mystery.
‘Untamed’ is a suspense-filled descent into the dark heart of the wild
“Untamed” starts how most mystery thrillers do — with the crime itself. Two climbers scaling a mountain are nearly sent to their deaths when a woman mysteriously falls from a ledge, dying in the process and getting tangled in their climbing ropes. It’s pretty brutal from the start, but it sets the tone for the rest of the series.
From there, we’re introduced to the brooding Kyle Turner, played brilliantly by Eric Bana, who knows how to play the gruff archetype without becoming another Joel from “The Last of Us” or Rick from “The Walking Dead.” Instead, he’s trying to do his job without outside interference, all while suppressing his personal baggage, which inevitably resurfaces in each episode.
Thankfully, the show doesn’t drag out the investigation. In the first episode, Kyle is already scouring the area for clues, and we follow him as he discovers bloodstains on leaves and a bullet hole in a tree. Even though it leans on some genre tropes, it’s still compelling enough to keep you watching.
Another trope I wasn’t initially keen on was the classic “hardened investigator paired with a rookie” setup. You know, when the rookie questions everything, is too sensitive and challenges the main character’s authority by being impulsive.
Fortunately, as the episodes go on, “Untamed” steps out of this cliché and makes Vasquez, the rookie, a genuinely likeable character with a meaningful backstory. She has a dark past, and once that becomes tied into the main storyline, it feels natural.
As for the other side characters, they mostly earn their screen time. Bana’s Kyle Turner is really the only one you can fully focus on or connect with, especially as his past is fleshed out through conversations with his ex-wife and fellow community members.
Sam Neill’s Paul Souter, while not featured as much as I would’ve liked, has an interesting dynamic with Turner as old allies. That said, the mystery is so compelling that I found myself less invested in the characters and more eager to dive deeper into the plot, wishing for more twists and revelations instead of character moments.
Alongside the mystery, “Untamed” delivers some seriously impressive visuals that show just how vast and overwhelming Yosemite National Park really is, and it’s kind of terrifying.
For context, Yosemite sees a high number of search and rescue (SAR) operations, with over 730 incidents reported between 2018 and 2020. That alone makes “Untamed” feel a lot more believable when it comes to its central mystery. And that’s before you even factor in the bears…
Overall, though, “Untamed” is the kind of bingeable series you might easily finish in one night. The characters aren’t especially deep (aside from Turner, who gets some solid development), so you’ll probably find yourself most invested in the investigation itself.
Just a heads up: Once you press play on episode 1, don’t be surprised if you power through the whole thing.
You need to stream ‘Untamed’ on Netflix
If you’re after a mystery that doesn’t rely on gimmicks or overblown twists, “Untamed” is the rare Netflix thriller that keeps things feeling real and that’s exactly what makes it work. It’s not exactly original material, but it still leans into what the genre does best: a solid investigation, tension, and a lead performance that holds it all together.
The setting alone is worth tuning in for, but it’s the slow-creeping suspense and clever unraveling of clues that will keep you pressing next episode. At just six episodes, there’s no filler which is more than can be said for a lot of recent limited series.
“Untamed” is now streaming on Netflix, and I definitely recommend checking it out. For more recommendations, see what else is new on Netflix in July 2025.
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