A Crime Thriller Rooted in Nature’s Majesty and Human Fragility
Netflix’s Untamed is a gripping six-part limited series that delivers more than your average whodunit. Set in the hauntingly beautiful wilderness of Yosemite National Park, the show blends murder mystery with psychological depth, exploring grief, guilt, and redemption beneath the canopy of towering pines and granite cliffs. Directed by Thomas Bezucha, Neasa Hardiman, and Nick Murphy, and created by Mark L. Smith and Elle Smith, Untamed uses its setting not just as scenery, but as a living, breathing force that mirrors the inner turmoil of its characters.
The story begins with a breathtaking and unsettling scene: two climbers are suddenly interrupted by a woman’s body plummeting from the summit of El Capitan. From this chilling moment, the series wastes no time diving into its central mystery—and the emotional storms that surround it.
The Characters: Flawed, Real, and Unflinchingly Human
Kyle Turner: A Man Lost in the Woods of Grief
At the heart of Untamed is Eric Bana’s quietly powerful performance as Kyle Turner, an Investigative Services Branch (ISB) special agent. Haunted by the tragic loss of his son and the unraveling of his marriage to Jill (played with restrained sorrow by Rosemarie DeWitt), Turner is a loner who rides horses instead of trucks, prefers silence over small talk, and hides his grief behind stoic professionalism.
Bana doesn’t overplay the trauma. Instead, he lets it simmer beneath the surface—his eyes tired, his speech minimal, his actions deliberate. It’s a role that could have slipped into cliché, but Bana grounds it with depth and dignity, channeling a quiet rage and ache that’s hard to shake.
Naya Vasquez: Strength in Vulnerability
Opposite Bana is Lily Santiago as Naya Vasquez, a rookie park ranger with her own wounds—an abusive past and a young son to protect. Her move from Los Angeles to Yosemite is a bid for survival, both emotional and literal. As she’s reluctantly paired with Turner, the dynamic between them evolves from friction to mutual respect.
Santiago brings grace and grit to Vasquez. She’s not just a plot device or moral counterpoint—she’s the heart of the series. Her steady resilience anchors the more erratic Turner, and together, they form one of the most compelling detective duos in recent memory.
Storytelling That Respects Silence and Shadows
While Untamed is built on familiar bones—a murder in a remote place, a haunted detective, and secrets buried beneath the surface—it manages to elevate its genre through atmosphere and restraint. There are no over-the-top shootouts or chase scenes. Instead, the tension lies in careful detail, quiet interrogations, and slowly unraveling truths.
The writing team weaves subplots seamlessly: a hidden drug ring, questions around the dead woman’s identity (eventually revealed as Lucy Cook, played by Ezra Franky), and the unspoken pasts of those who work in and around the park. Even the local flora becomes a clue in Turner’s meticulous investigation. Every thread feels deliberate, every silence meaningful.
Visual Poetry in a Brutal Landscape
Yosemite—though partially recreated in British Columbia—is as much a character in Untamed as any human. Cinematographers capture its wild splendor with reverence: misty mornings, snow-dusted trails, cliff edges that drop into nothingness. But this beauty is deceptive. In Untamed, nature is not just awe-inspiring; it’s indifferent, sometimes cruel. The wilderness conceals just as much as it reveals.
That duality—the majesty of the landscape and the darkness it hides—runs through the entire show. It’s what gives Untamed its emotional punch. Turner’s grief mirrors the emptiness of the terrain. Vasquez’s cautious hope mirrors its resilience.
Flaws and Final Impressions
Is Untamed perfect? No. Some twists in the final episode feel a bit too neatly tied. The pacing dips in the early middle stretch. And though the series leans into emotional depth, it occasionally treads into predictable territory. But none of this detracts significantly from the overall experience.
If anything, these imperfections reflect the characters themselves—damaged but trying, wounded but still moving forward.
Final Verdict
Untamed isn’t trying to reinvent the crime-thriller wheel. What it does instead is refine it—offering a moody, emotionally charged, visually stunning series anchored by strong performances, especially from Eric Bana and Lily Santiago. It’s a series that lingers not because of shocking reveals, but because of how deeply it understands pain, loss, and the messy business of healing.
Bullseye Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 stars)
Untamed is currently streaming on Netflix.