National parks hold a special place in our hearts. Revered by conservationists, outdoor enthusiasts, families on vacation, and anyone who considers themselves a patriot, they’ve been showcased in stunning documentaries narrated by prominent figures (like Barack Obama in Netflix’s *Our Great National Parks*) and bearing the mark of Ken Burns, who created the 12-hour PBS series *National Parks: America’s Best Idea*. They’ve made appearances in films as diverse as *The Shining*, *North by Northwest*, and *Star Trek V: The Final Frontier*. Recently, they’ve served as the impressive backdrop for Taylor Sheridan’s successful TV Western franchise, *Yellowstone*.
However, rarely are the parks themselves—their vast scale, complexity, and the people who officially and unofficially live and work there—as central to a story as Yosemite is to *Untamed*, a six-episode Netflix crime drama by Mark L. Smith (*The Revenant*) and Elle Smith. Likely influenced by the popularity of detective shows and streamers’ quest for their own *Yellowstone*, the series is, in its writing and performances, fairly average. Yet, it’s worth watching if you’re captivated by the inner workings of a place like Yosemite, appreciate the sights and sounds of the wilderness, and are intrigued by the notion that a park can hide darkness and corruption alongside its breathtaking beauty.
*Untamed*’s plot revolves around a familiar dead-girl mystery. Two climbers on Yosemite’s daunting El Capitan find a young woman who has fallen to her death, snagged in their ropes. While it would be convenient to rule it a suicide, Agent Kyle Turner (Eric Bana) of the National Parks Service’s Investigative Services Branch—established as legitimate by his rappelling down to examine the body—believes she was fleeing someone. With the help of new ranger Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago), who transferred from city police, he begins investigating. This is complicated by Yosemite’s immense size (Turner compares it to Rhode Island), its challenging terrain, and Turner’s own history with the park’s staff and inhabitants.
The premise isn’t inherently flawed, but its execution is quite cliché. Turner embodies the familiar antihero detective: a brilliant investigator who is also arrogant, disrespectful, a heavy drinker, and prone to calling his tolerant ex-wife, Jill (DeWitt), with whom he shares a predictable trauma. Jill is now married to a dentist (Josh Randall) and feigns happiness, though she’s still drawn to Turner. Parenthood is a struggle for many characters, from Chris Bauer’s seasoned chief ranger, Paul, who indulges his adult daughter, to Vazquez, who is hiding with her son from the boy’s father. Recognizing that the show explores the lengths parents will go to for their children—and, in some cases, what they will do *to* them—makes the ending less surprising.
Stronger writing and acting could have enhanced the material. However, while the central mystery has its moments, *Untamed* feels confined; the key figures in the park’s past mysteries seem inexplicably interconnected. The dialogue alternates between terse banter (“That’s the job, Ranger Vazquez,” Turner says condescendingly) and overly explicit exchanges that suggest the writers underestimate the audience (Paul: “You’ve locked yourself away in this park, Kyle”). Bana lacks the charisma to make Turner’s fate compelling. Many other actors also seem disengaged. DeWitt and Neill are talented, but their characters change erratically to fit plot twists, making their performances feel superficial.
Despite its flaws, *Untamed* distinguishes itself through its skillful use of Yosemite. Cinematographers Michael McDonough (known for his work on *Winter’s Bone*) and Brendan Uegama (who captured the noir atmosphere of *Fargo*) showcase the park’s stunning sunrises and vistas, as well as the darkness of the woods and the dangers of the terrain. The opening scenes at El Capitan are technically impressive, conveying the blend of awe and fear that climbers would experience. Equally notable is the sound design, which emphasizes the contrast between, for instance, a peaceful creek and a raging waterfall, highlighting the wilderness’s unpredictable nature.
These visual and auditory elements enhance the series’ depiction of the 750,000-acre park as a place where a picturesque facade hides a network of dangerous tunnels, criminal activity, and seemingly harmless transient communities. Ultimately, this reinforces the awe-inspiring nature of the wilderness. The underwritten characters of Turner, Vazquez, Jill, and Paul fade in comparison to Yosemite itself, which emerges as the most compelling and complex character in *Untamed*.
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