Untamed (miniseries)

Untamed
Genre	Drama Murder mystery
Created by	Mark L. Smith & Elle Smith
Showrunners	Mark L. Smith & Elle Smith
Written by	Mark L. Smith & Elle Smith
Directed by	Thomas Bezucha Nick Murphy Neasa Hardiman
Starring	Eric Bana Sam Neill Rosemarie DeWitt Lily Santiago Wilson Bethel
Music by	Jeff Russo
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of episodes	6
Production
Executive producers	John Wells Mark L. Smith Elle Smith Erin Jontow Eric Bana Cliff Roberts Thomas Bezucha Todd Black Jason Blumenthal Tony Shaw Steve Tisch Steve Lee Jones
Producer	Kevin Human
Cinematography	Michael McDonough Brendan Kuroki Uegama
Editors	Ryan Jones Tyler Eversmann Garret Donnelly Debra Beth Weinfeld
Running time	42–51 minutes
Production companies	Bee Holder Productions Escape Artists John Wells Productions Warner Bros. Television
Original release
Network	Netflix
Release	July 17, 2025 (2025-07-17)

Untamed is an American drama murder mystery television series for Netflix set in Yosemite National Park starring Eric Bana, Lily Santiago, Rosemarie DeWitt and Sam Neill. It was released on July 17, 2025 on Netflix.

Premise

In the vast expanse of Yosemite National Park, a woman's death draws a federal agent into lawless terrain, where nature obeys no rules but its own. ^[1]

Cast

Main

• Eric Bana as Kyle Turner, an National Park Service Investigative Services Branch (ISB) special agent at Yosemite National Park who is still grieving the loss of his young son from 6 years ago
• Sam Neill as Paul Souter, the chief park ranger of Yosemite and Turner's mentor
• Rosemarie DeWitt as Jill Bodwin, Turner's ex-wife who used to be a teacher
• Lily Santiago as Naya Vasquez, a rookie National Park Service ranger who moved to Yosemite from Los Angeles and is assisting Turner with the alleged murder victim Lucy
• Wilson Bethel as Shane Maguire, the wildlife management officer at Yosemite and a former Army Ranger

Recurring

• William Smillie as Bruce Milch, a veteran park ranger at Yosemite
• Raoul Max Trujillo as Jay Stewart, a colleague and an indigenous friend of Turner who provides insights into local symbols and heritage
• Joe Holt as Lawrence Hamilton, the park superintendent, focused on public image amid the crisis
• Josh Randall as Scott Bodwin, Jill's current husband who is a dentist
• Ezra Franky as Lucy Cook, the alleged murder victim known initially as Jane Doe, with a complex backstory involving abuse and disappearance
• Nicola Correia-Damude as Esther Avalos, a lawyer pressuring Turner over the disappearance of Sean Sanderson who went missing 6 years ago
• Trevor Carroll as Mr. Begay

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date	Prod. code
1	"A Celestial Event"	Thomas Bezucha	Mark L. Smith & Elle Smith	July 17, 2025 (2025-07-17)	T13.25151
National Park Service Investigative Services Branch (ISB) special agent Kyle Turner investigates the death of a young woman, dubbed Jane Doe, whose body falls off El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Partnered with rookie ranger Naya Vasquez, Turner examines the scene, noting injuries suggesting she was chased or attacked beforehand, including a possible animal bite and a bullet wound. They discover clues like a beaded bracelet linking her to a local camp program, bloody footprints, and carvings in an abandoned shack. Personal backstories emerge: Turner deals with grief over his son's death and a strained relationship with his ex-wife Jill, while Vasquez balances single motherhood. The investigation points to foul play amid park tensions, ending with a meteor shower observation.
2	"Jane Doe"	Thomas Bezucha	Mark L. Smith & Elle Smith	July 17, 2025 (2025-07-17)	T13.25152
Turner and Vasquez deepen their probe into Jane Doe's identity, uncovering a medicine bottle and tattoo clues tied to local drug activity. Flashbacks show Jane Doe hiding items before being shot. Turner questions suspects like a drug user named Teddy and a biologist named Shane, while facing pressure from a lawyer over an old missing person case linked to his son's death. Vasquez deals with her ex-partner's interference. The duo tracks leads to squatters and a shaman-like figure, Abuelo. Teddy is murdered after inquiring about the tattoo, and ballistics tests are initiated. Jane Doe is revealed to be Lucy Cook, a child who went missing years ago.
3	"El-o'-win"	Nick Murphy	Mark L. Smith & Elle Smith	July 17, 2025 (2025-07-17)	T13.25153
With Jane Doe identified as Lucy Cook, Turner and Vasquez explore her Native heritage and past disappearance, consulting Turner's friend Jay for insights into Miwok symbols she carved. Flashbacks depict Lucy's abusive family life and mother's death. Suspects include her step-brother James and tattoo artist Linson. Vasquez gets trapped in a flooding mine while pursuing a lead, rescued by Turner, strengthening their bond. Park superintendent Lawrence prioritizes optics amid Teddy's death. Personal strains continue, with Turner reflecting on his grief and Jill admitting unresolved pain over their son Caleb.
4	"Gold Rush"	Nick Murphy	Mark L. Smith & Elle Smith	July 17, 2025 (2025-07-17)	T13.25154
Turner and Vasquez investigate Lucy's secret life among squatters, discovering she had a boyfriend and was involved in drug-related activities. They raid a mine, finding evidence of a gold tattoo-linked group and Abuelo's involvement. Teddy's killer is pursued, with connections to Shane and park corruption. Flashbacks reveal Lucy's relationships and escape attempts. Tensions rise as Turner confronts personal demons, and Vasquez faces family issues. The duo ambushes a suspect at a cave, uncovering deeper park conspiracies.
5	"Terces"	Neasa Hardiman	Mark L. Smith & Elle Smith	July 17, 2025 (2025-07-17)	T13.25155
Turner confronts Shane over drug operations, leading to his suspension after a violent clash. A raid on a hidden lab exposes park-wide corruption. Lucy's secret lover is revealed, tied to her death. Flashbacks show her attempts to protect herself. Jill's grief boils over in a confrontation with Turner. Vasquez uncovers key evidence identifying Lucy's killer, while balancing her son's safety. The investigation escalates, linking to the old Sanderson case and forcing alliances.
6	"All Trails Lead Here"	Neasa Hardiman	Mark L. Smith & Elle Smith	July 17, 2025 (2025-07-17)	T13.25156
In the finale, Turner pursues Shane in a chase, revealing his role in Lucy's murder and drug smuggling. Vasquez arrives to assist, leading to arrests. Revelations tie Lucy's death to park officials' cover-ups and the Sanderson case. Turner reconciles with Jill amid shared grief over Caleb. Vasquez resolves her personal threats. Turner confronts Souter about what he found about Lucy and Souter reveals that he shot Lucy in an attempt to make her stop blackmailing for money. Souter shoots himself to death instead of turning himself in due to playing a role in Lucy's death. The case closes with justice for Lucy, but lingering secrets about the park's dangers persist. Turner reflects on healing while watching the wilderness.

Production

The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television and studio-based John Wells Productions. It is written by Mark L. Smith and Elle Smith who are also co-showrunners and executive producers alongside Eric Bana, who also stars, John Wells and Erin Jontow via John Wells Productions, Todd Black and Tony Shaw for Escape Artists Entertainment, Steve Lee Jones for Bee Holder Productions, and Cliff Roberts for Syndicate Entertainment. ^[2]

Sam Neill, Lily Santiago, Rosemarie DeWitt and Wilson Bethel joined the cast in June 2024. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

Filming began in Vancouver, British Columbia in June 2024. ^{[6] [7]} Filming locations included Chip Kerr Park. ^[8]

Release

The limited series premiered on July 17, 2025. ^[9]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 80% approval rating based on 49 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Wrangled by Eric Bana's steady star power, Untamed's solid murder mystery is elevated by the visually sumptuous backdrop of its Yosemite National Park milieu." ^[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gave a score of 62 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating "mixed or average". ^[11]

Rebecca Onion of Slate said, "Bana and Smith know how to keep you watching, even when parts of the story start to feel familiar. In the summer, we're all tourists. A Yosemite story hits just right." ^[12] Reviewing the series for The Guardian , Rebecca Nicholson gave a rating of 3/5 and described it as "not the smartest of thrillers, but those mountains sure are lovely to look at." ^[13] Ben Travers of IndieWire gave a critical review with a C- and wrote, "By the end, Untamed can only offer more of the same, despite ample opportunity to provide something 'different'." ^[14]

References

1. Peralta, Diego (June 21, 2024). "This 'Jurassic Park' Star Just Joined Mystery-Thriller 'Untamed'". Collider. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
2. Otterson, Joe (March 12, 2024). "Eric Bana to Star in Netflix Limited Series 'Untamed' From Mark L. Smith, Elle Smith (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
3. Andreeva, Nellie (June 21, 2024). "Sam Neill Joins Eric Bana In Netflix Limited Series 'Untamed'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
4. Hailu, Selome (June 24, 2024). "Lily Santiago and Wilson Bethel Join Eric Bana in Yosemite Murder Series 'Untamed' at Netflix". Variety. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
5. Andreeva, Nellie (June 21, 2024). "Rosemarie DeWitt Joins Netflix Limited Series 'Untamed'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
6. Vardhan, Harsh (April 9, 2024). "Eric Bana's Netflix Series 'Untamed' Begins Filming in Vancouver in June". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
7. Gittins, Susan (June 26, 2024). "Netflix's UNTAMED Series With Eric Bana & Sam Neill is in Production in British Columbia". Hollywood North Buzz. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
8. Penner, Patrick (August 12, 2024). "Netflix mystery series 'Untamed,' starring Eric Bana, seen shooting at Chip Kerr Park last week". Tri-Cities Dispatch. Archived from the original on August 14, 2024. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
9. "'Untamed' Starring Eric Bana - First Look & Date Announcement" (Press release). Netflix. May 12, 2025 – via The Futon Critic.
10. "Untamed: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved July 26, 2025.
11. "Untamed: Season 1". Metacritic . Retrieved July 26, 2025.
12. Onion, Rebecca (July 17, 2025). "Untamed Hits Just Right". Slate . Retrieved July 18, 2025.
13. Nicholson, Rebecca (July 17, 2025). "Untamed review – Eric Bana's national park thriller is as beautiful as it is totally predictable". The Guardian . Retrieved July 18, 2025.
14. Travers, Ben (July 17, 2025). "'Untamed' Review: Eric Bana Squanders Grand Terrain in Netflix's Tedious, Yosemite-Set Mystery". IndieWire . Retrieved July 18, 2025.

External links

• Untamed on Netflix
• Untamed at IMDb