Netflix’s ‘Untamed’ is a Slow Burn Suspense in Yosemite National Park

If you’re sick of summer beach reads, campy romances, and predictable murders in small towns, maybe give Netflix’s Untamed a watch. Starring Eric Bana, Sam Neill, Lily Santiago, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Wilson Bethel, this murder-mystery takes place in the beautiful setting of Yosemite National Park.

The gorgeous setting sets up an ironic contrast for viewers as it begins with the brutal death of a young woman at the top of El Capitan mountain. Two things can be true: Yosemite National Park is as beautiful as it is haunting in Untamed.

This death ignites something in Kyle Turner, an ISB special agent and our perpetual puppy-dog-eyed, grief-stricken protagonist, played by Eric Bana.

When he first arrives at the scene of the alleged crime, the other park rangers don’t take too kindly to him. It’s not that he decides to show up on a horse, but it’s his attention to what they think are minuscule details that annoy them the most.

Naya Vasquez, played by Lily Santiago, becomes Turner’s protege; she’s a single mom park ranger with a past of her own who genuinely wants to do what’s right. Her character reminds the audience that in this world of Untamed, everyone has their story.

Just as the mysterious murder drives the plot, the show is very much character-driven, too. There’s a reason why Turner doesn’t let up about the young woman’s death, and it’s because he and his ex-wife, Jill Bodwin (Rosemarie DeWitt), and his son fell victim to the darkness of Yosemite as well.

It would be against Turner’s character to give up on the young woman’s death, or move on from the case as his fellow rangers insist. The audience can make their own interpretations on why Turner operates the way he does.

Turner has seen a lot of things in his life to know better than to give up on any minute detail of the crime, whether it be gold-flaked tattoos or fallen friendship bracelets.

The other rangers’ insistence on Turner giving up the ghost makes the audience wonder about that insistence — are their intentions for the greater good or personal gain? The slow burn of the show commences henceforth, and the audience has no choice but to watch as intently as Turner’s investigation deepens.

Sam Neill plays the chief park ranger, Paul Souter; he is one of the first to suggest that Turner not work on the Jane Doe case. His reasons seem pure at first, but if the audience has caught on with the irony of the setting, nothing is as it seems.

At this point, the show becomes fun in its own way. We know someone here is at fault, and we trust Turner to guide us in that direction, but not so much that the audience can’t have their own reservations on some characters — or hopefulness, too.

We meet a cautionary character in the second episode—Shane Maguire, played by Wilson Bethel. He lives on his own, minds his business shooting deer—who are we as the audience to not give the ruggedly handsome loner the benefit of the doubt? But because Turner has his reservations, we still cannot fully trust every person we meet.

It becomes a guessing game the more information is revealed. Throw in a lawyer investigating Turner about how he handled a past investigation, more pieces of the greater puzzle are revealed, and in that, the true themes of the show.

Grief, loss, PTSD, and domestic abuse. The territorial energy a parent has over their child. The characters are what make the show investment worthy and what makes Untamed a very believable reality. The stories of each character are as complex as the setting: beautiful, tragic, and full of hidden truths.

The characters aren’t just thrown into the mix to create a campy murder-mystery—they are all invested in their ways, especially Turner and Naya. Their unlikely friendship and bonding make the show multifaceted, and show that understanding can be found from all walks of life.

Prepare for a slow burn and not a lot of action. While the show did a great job at making Turner and Naya trustworthy characters we are emotionally invested in, it took away from the potential of honing in on the other interesting characters like Shane.

With only six episodes, they could only do so much. It’s a dialogue-heavy show, and it feels like a mad-lib at times, where the audience has to fill in gaps on their own and make sense of situations only after they happen.

An intense scene is bridged over from the end of one episode to the start of another, and the big reveal feels anticlimactic. The show already feels over at this point, so if you’re expecting it to be wrapped up and potentially zone out during a certain conversation, you may miss it.

Untamed is bold in its setting, and the pursuit of truth is “untamed” itself. It’s less of a thriller and more of a suspenseful slow burn. If you want a break from typical summer settings, then immerse yourself in the vastness of Yosemite National Park and stream Untamed on Netflix.

 

 

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