Netflix’s Untamed is winning over thriller fans with an 83% Rotten Tomatoes score

Netflix’s new wilderness thriller Untamed has quickly attracted attention from thriller fans, earning an 83% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The six-part mystery stars Eric Bana, Sam Neill and Lily Santiago and unfolds against the rugged backdrop of Yosemite National Park.

The series premiered on Netflix on July 17, 2025, with all six episodes released at once.

At the center of the story is Kyle Turner, played by Bana, a special agent with the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch. When a woman is found dead after falling from El Capitan, what initially appears to be an accident soon raises serious questions.

Turner is drawn into an investigation that takes him deep into Yosemite’s history while forcing him to confront secrets from his own past.

A murder mystery hidden in Yosemite

Created by Mark L. Smith, known for American Primeval and The Revenant, and Elle Smith, Untamed takes a character-focused approach to the crime thriller.

The beauty of Yosemite provides an imposing contrast to the investigation. Mark L. Smith explained that the creative team wanted to explore the dangers hidden beyond the park’s famous vistas and scenery. By taking away many of the conveniences of the modern world, the story puts greater emphasis on the characters and what they are capable of discovering about themselves.

That approach has earned the series positive notices from critics.

The Wall Street Journal praised the show as a mystery that proved unusually easy to binge, while TheWrap felt the story might have worked as a movie but benefited from being limited to six episodes. Variety described it as a deeply layered and gripping detective story driven by some of humanity’s darker impulses.

Rotten Tomatoes currently lists Untamed at 83% from critics, based on 64 reviews.

Eric Bana found an immediate connection with Kyle Turner

Eric Bana, whose credits include Black Hawk Down and Troy, takes the lead as Kyle Turner.

Bana first read the script in 2019 and said he immediately felt connected to the character. Part of that connection came from their shared appreciation for the outdoors and the effect that time in nature can have on a person’s state of mind, sense of self and emotional life.

Turner is especially comfortable in the wilderness, even as he struggles with the people and unresolved issues surrounding him. That contrast forms a major part of Bana’s character.

Lily Santiago plays rookie ranger Naya Vasquez

Lily Santiago plays Naya Vasquez, a rookie park ranger who has moved from Los Angeles to Yosemite with her four-year-old son, Gael.

Vasquez previously worked as an LAPD officer, including time in the homicide department. Her experience gives her a sharp eye for details, but the wilderness of Yosemite is very different from the environment she knows.

Her relative inexperience with the park also gives viewers a natural way into the story. As Vasquez learns the job, audiences discover the beauty and hazards of Yosemite alongside her.

Santiago believes Naya undergoes the biggest character transformation in the series, making her development one of the central arcs of the six episodes.

Sam Neill leads a veteran Yosemite team

Sam Neill, best known for Jurassic Park, plays Paul Souter, Yosemite’s longtime chief park ranger.

After decades in the park, Souter knows the landscape intimately and has a longstanding connection with Turner.

The supporting cast also includes Rosemarie DeWitt as Jill Bodwin, Turner’s ex-wife. Although their marriage has ended, the two remain close.

Wilson Bethel plays a former army ranger who now works as Yosemite’s wildlife management officer, bringing another character with specialized knowledge of the park into the story.

Where was Untamed filmed?

Although the story takes place in Yosemite National Park, production began in Vancouver, British Columbia, in June 2024. Filming also took place at several locations across British Columbia.

The production used British Columbia locations to stand in for parts of Yosemite, while the series also incorporates imagery of the famous California park.

The result is a series where the landscape plays an important role in the mystery. Yosemite’s vast wilderness creates plenty of room for hidden histories, isolated communities and dangers that are difficult to see from the park’s better-known tourist areas.

Did Eric Bana ever see a bear?

Despite spending the production surrounded by wilderness, Bana had one disappointment: he never saw a bear.

Several members of the cast did encounter one during filming, but Bana missed out.

The production had a dedicated bear handler responsible for keeping both the actors and the animals safe, along with strict rules concerning food and other precautions.

Bana said he was hoping for a positive bear encounter throughout filming, but it never happened.

Untamed is streaming now on Netflix

All six episodes of Untamed are available to watch on Netflix. The series combines a murder investigation with a character drama built around the isolation, beauty and dangers of Yosemite National Park.