“Better Than Yellowstone?!” Netflix’s New Wilderness Thriller Just Exploded Onto Screens — Critics Call It ‘Wind River on Steroids,’ and the Final Twist Will Wreck You!
“Better Than Yellowstone?!” Netflix’s New Wilderness Thriller Just Exploded Onto Screens — Critics Call It ‘Wind River on Steroids,’ and the Final Twist Will Wreck You!
“Move Over Yellowstone — Netflix Just Dropped UntamedWind River on Steroids!”
Netflix may have just found its answer to Taylor Sheridan — and critics are already calling it better than expected. Untamed, the streamer’s latest wilderness noir, has landed with an 83% Rotten Tomatoes score, drawing savage comparisons to Wind River, Sicario, and yes — even Yellowstone.
Set against the haunting majesty of Yosemite National Park, Untamed follows Eric Bana’s Kyle Turner — a special agent for the National Parks Service Investigative Services Branch (ISB), tasked with upholding human law in the unforgiving wild. But when a brutal murder shakes the woods, the investigation unearths far more than just a killer — it triggers a reckoning with buried secrets, personal demons, and a park that’s hiding something far darker than bears and broken trails.
Created by The Revenant’s Mark L. Smith and The Marsh King’s Daughter’s Elle Smith, this six-episode slow-burn blends the psychological tension of Mindhunter with the sweeping frontier danger of Hell or High Water. It’s violent, beautifully shot, and shockingly emotional — with critics praising its unexpected depth.
“What Yellowstone did for Montana is what Untamed aims to do for Yosemite,” raves JoBlo’s Alex Maidy.
“A thriller, crime, and mystery hybrid with a solid cast and well-written characters. Yes, I binge-watched this series — and you should too,” writes Karina Adelgaard (Heaven of Horror).
“Messy in the best way… not afraid to ask whether the truth is worth the cost,” says Pramit Chatterjee of Digital Mafia Talkies.
And the cast? Stacked. Eric Bana (The Dry, Black Hawk Down) delivers one of his most grounded and tortured performances yet. Sam Neill (Jurassic Park) adds gravitas as a veteran ranger. And Lily Santiago (La Brea) is the breakout star as Naya Vasquez, a young L.A. cop seeking purpose in the wild.
By the time the final twist drops, Untamed will have done what few shows dare: made the forest feel claustrophobic, justice feel impossible, and pain echo louder than gunshots. It’s not just a mystery. It’s a psychological reckoning dressed as a crime thriller.
