Netflix’s new murder mystery takes place in Yosemite. It’s the perfect setting.
Netflix’s new crime drama Untamed begins with a gut-punch.
Two climbers on a sheer cliff face in Yosemite are battling the elements when a body—yes, a girl’s lifeless body—falls from above. The shock intensifies as the corpse snags on their rope, yanking one climber off the wall and turning all three into a human pendulum. It’s chaos. And it’s only the first five minutes.
The Wild Beauty of Yosemite as a Crime Backdrop
Set in the majestic wilderness of Yosemite National Park, Untamed blends nature's raw beauty with unsettling danger. The production, though shot in British Columbia, convincingly captures Yosemite’s grandeur. This limited six-episode series digs into a strange truth about America’s national parks—our love for these wild spaces often borders on obsession.
Some visit for a week and leave with souvenirs. Others trade comfort for seasonal jobs just to be close to the land. A few, like the show's victim, take risks that prove fatal. This layered relationship between people and wilderness becomes the silent force driving Untamed.
A Dead Girl, A Haunted Ranger, and an Unfolding Mystery
The core of Untamed is a haunting investigation. Eric Bana plays Kyle Turner, a gruff investigator with the National Park Service’s rarely mentioned Investigative Services Branch. Turner is sent to figure out how the girl died, especially since her body shows signs of both a gunshot wound and animal attack.
Partnered with fresh-faced ranger Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago), Turner plunges deep into the unknown. Vasquez, newly transferred from Los Angeles, contrasts sharply with Turner’s hardened exterior. Their uneasy partnership adds spark and humor, especially when Turner insists she learn to ride horseback through the backcountry.
Supporting Cast Brings Layers and Depth
Sam Neill is nearly unrecognizable as Paul Souter, Turner’s longtime friend and Yosemite’s chief ranger. Rosemarie DeWitt plays Turner’s ex-wife Jill, who remains in his life due to a shared personal tragedy. Wilson Bethel portrays Shane Maguire, a former Army Ranger who vanishes into the wild under the guise of park duty. The land draws something primal from him—and it’s unclear whether that’s good or bad.
The characters are all touched by the land. Whether they flee to it, hide in it, or work to protect it, Yosemite changes them. This tension builds through the show, making Untamed feel more alive than a standard crime thriller.
Uncovering Secrets Beyond the Tourist Trail
As Turner investigates, the mystery twists into unexpected territory. Squatters in remote meadows come under suspicion. A bitter elder hippie, a white man with dreadlocks named “Pakuna,” and others add both humor and grit. There are tense scenes inside abandoned mine shafts and moments of quiet beauty—like a herd of elk startled into motion.
The dead girl’s past is slowly revealed. In flashbacks, we see her with her mother, who’s dying of cancer, perched together on a cliff’s edge. Turner’s own grief is hinted at through unpacked boxes in his cabin, a now-cliché crime trope that still manages to resonate.
Familiar Storytelling, Fresh Execution
While Untamed is built on crime genre standards—a troubled young woman, a rule-breaking detective with a tragic past—it surprises often. Turner, silent and brooding, doesn’t joke. He doesn’t open up. But his subtle gestures speak volumes: swearing while searching for a phone charger, slipping on gloves before touching the dangling corpse, glaring with barely restrained fury when confronting suspects.
Eric Bana and director Mark L. Smith lean into restraint, letting long silences and small details build the tension. The pacing works. Even when plot points feel predictable, the characters and setting keep you invested.
A Must-Watch Summer Thriller
Untamed captures the strangeness of national parks—the tension between beauty and danger, escape and obsession. With its breathtaking visuals, raw emotions, and a slow-burning mystery, this Yosemite-based crime drama delivers more than just suspense. It offers a glimpse into the untamed corners of both the land and the human psyche.
