Untamed Season 1 Review: Netflix’s Darkest Wilderness Thriller Yet
Netflix’s Untamed Season 1 opens with a chilling freefall—literally. A climber plummets from Yosemite’s El Capitan in what looks like an accident. But a bullet lodged in her leg tells a more sinister story. What follows is a slow-burning investigation through wilderness, trauma, and tangled secrets.
The show has earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of 78%, an IMDb rating of 7.3/10, and Roger Ebert’s review score of 2.5/4.
Meanwhile, Willi Cinema gives Untamed Season 1 a 7.1/10—for its gripping setting, emotional performances, and character-driven intensity, though slightly dragged down by an over-twisted finale.
Skeleton in the Woods – Turner and Vasquez discover a partially decomposed body in the forest, with moss and leaves covering key evidence.
A Crime Buried Beneath the Pines
The series kicks off with a grim discovery. After a body is found beneath Yosemite’s cliffs, Special Agent Kyle Turner (played brilliantly by Eric Bana) teams up with rookie park ranger Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago). Her identity? Unknown. Her death? Definitely not an accident.
Turner’s past trauma—his daughter’s murder—drives his obsessive pursuit of truth. His emotionally strained connection with ex-wife Jill (Rosemarie DeWitt) is raw and deeply human, showing how trauma can connect and destroy.
Blood on the Rocks – A cell phone captures blood splatter—key evidence photographed on site, revealing the final moments of the victim.
The National Park Becomes Its Own Character
One of the show’s strongest elements is its setting. Yosemite’s sprawling forests, treacherous cliffs, and hidden trails become a haunting backdrop for the mystery. As Variety explains in their review of Untamed, the show “infuses numerous elements into the narrative, ranging from previous investigations to Indigenous practices and complex human relationships.”
“Deeply layered and gripping, Untamed is a brilliant detective tale anchored by some of our worst human impulses.”
Gripping Until It’s Not
While the series starts strong—with tension, purpose, and a slow-burning mystery—it begins to wobble by the end. The finale crams in one twist too many, and last-minute rescues feel a bit forced.
Still, what truly stands out is Eric Bana’s brooding performance and the show’s visually rich, dangerous setting. As Variety puts it, Untamed is an “assessment of the human condition,” exploring how we unravel when pushed to the edge.
Dark Secrets and Buried Truths
As the mystery deepens, Turner discovers a drug trafficking operation tied to Wildlife Officer Shane Maguire (Wilson Bethel)—a shadow from his own past. Even Vasquez is fleeing danger—an abusive ex with a violent history.
The investigation spirals into personal territory, where no one is innocent and everyone is running from something.
Why Rate It 7.1/10?
We at Willi Cinema appreciated the show’s cinematography, emotional performances, and its unique setting—Yosemite has rarely been this haunting. Eric Bana brings depth to a tortured character, and the tension between him and Jill feels real and raw.
However, the show stumbles in the final episode, relying on too many sudden twists and last-minute rescues. The ending feels overly convenient, which slightly dims what is otherwise a well-crafted, emotional thriller.
Still, for fans of The Fall, True Detective, or The Revenant, Untamed is a must-watch limited series.
Untamed Season 1 is a beautifully shot, character-driven thriller that delivers both emotional weight and high-stakes mystery—even if it overplays its hand in the end. It’s more than just another Netflix crime drama—it’s a story about survival, redemption, and the wild within us.
WilliCinema Rating: 7.1/10
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