Netflix has dropped a brand new thr!ller from the bosses of The Pitt and The West Wing, and it’s already been certified 83% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Untamed is a drama murder mystery set in Yosemite National Park and starring Hulk’s Eric Bana and Sam Neill, and follows Eric’s Kyle Turner, a special agent in an elite branch of the National Parks Service who works to enforce human law in nature’s vast wilderness.

‘Deeply layered and gripping’

Untamed has been well received, with the Wall Street Journal writing: “Despite a title that seems calculated to pitch this six-part drama into the mental dustbin of adjectival crime dramas, “Untamed” is a mystery that this viewer binged with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.”

The Wrap described the series as “better suited to a movie, but at six episodes it doesn’t overstay its welcome,” while Variety called it “deeply layered and gripping” and “a brilliant detective tale anchored by some of our worst human impulses”.

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Eric Bana as Kyle Turner in episode 101 of Untamed

Untamed is a six-part series that follows Special Agent Turner who is sent on a journey through the park’s dark past and his own secrets when a body is found at the bottom of El Capitan.

A character-driven mystery thriller, it was created by Mark L. Smith (American Primeval, The Revenant) and Elle Smith.

“Everyone thinks of Yosemite as this beautiful place with all the vistas and all the scenery, but we were trying to touch on the dangers that are just beyond that,” co-showrunner Mark L. Smith said. “I love stripping all the cheats away, stripping all the more modern tools that people can use. It really gets down to the character and what they can find within themselves.”

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Untamed is a character-driven mystery thriller

‘A kinship with Kyle’

Eric Bana, known for Black Hawk Down and Troy, stars as  Kyle Turner, a special agent for the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch (ISB).

He first read the script in 2019 and immediately knew he wanted to be involved.

“I just felt a kinship for Kyle immediately,” he told the LA Times. “I don’t know if it was just like the shared love for the outdoors and how that affects our psyche and our well-being, our sense of self, our emotional journey in life — I just immediately felt very strongly for Kyle.”

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Naya has moved to Yosemite from Los Angeles with her son

Lily Santiago plays rookie park ranger Naya Vasquez, a former LAPD cop who is more accustomed to city life than to the wilds of Yosemite but has an eye for detail thanks to years in the homicide department.

She is now living in the wilds with her four-year-old son, Gael, and showrunner Elle shared that “because Vasquez is new to the park, we get to see the park through her eyes, we get to understand what this job is, and see the beauty of the park, but also the dangers”.

Character arcs

“I think of all the characters—and yes, I am biased—[Naya] has the biggest arc in this series,” said Lily.

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Sam Neill as Paul Souter

Hollywood legend Sam Neill, of Jurassic Park fame, plays Paul Souter, who has been the chief park ranger in Yosemite for decades, and knows the park like the back of his hand.

Rosemarie DeWitt plays Jill Bodwin, Turner’s ex-wife, although the pair remain close, and Hart of Dixie’s Wilson Bethel is on-screen as a former army ranger who now uses his skills as the park’s wildlife management officer.

When is Untamed on Netflix?

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Untamed is on Netflix now

All six episodes are available now on Netflix.

Where was the series Untamed filmed?

Filming began in Vancouver, British Columbia in June 2024.

Did Eric Bana meet a bear?

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Eric had ‘bad bear luck’

During filming, many of the cast saw a bear, but not lead star Eric.

“We had a bear guy on set who was responsible for our and the bears’ safety,” the Australian actor told LA Times.

“We had very strict rules around food and all that sort of stuff. I was desperate, desperate to have an encounter with a bear of the positive kind, and I never saw one.”

Official trailer for Untamed on Netflix