Untamed cast, episode guide and what the reviews are saying

The Australian star plays an investigative services branch agent on the hunt for a killer in the vast expanse of mountains, forests and river valleys.

Created by Mark L Smith and Elle Smith, it has a cast which boasts Sam Neill and Rosemarie DeWitt and a stunning backdrop in the national park.

Mark Smith said Yosemite is “the size of Rhode Island, and people only know such a tiny speck of it”.

He added; “I love stripping all the cheats away, stripping all the more modern tools that people can use.

“I feel like it really gets down to the character and what they can find within themselves.”

Eric Bana as Kyle Turner and Lily Santiago as Naya Vasque (Photo: Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix)

What is Untamed about?

Untamed is a mystery thriller following the life of Kyle Turner (Eric Bana), a special agent in an elite branch of the National Parks Service who works to enforce human law in nature’s vast wilderness.

A brutal death in Yosemite sends Turner on a collision course with the dark secrets within the park and in his own life.

He is on the hunt for a killer, one who knows Yosemite National Park as well as he does.

It’s a wilderness with its fair share of dark corners, from an itinerant tent village to a rogue wildlife management officer (played by Wilson Bethel) with whom he has a history.

Mark L Smith, co-showrunner, told Netflix’s Tudum: “Everyone thinks of Yosemite as this beautiful place with all the vistas and all the scenery but we were trying to touch on the dangers that are just beyond that.”

At the same time, Turner is a man at war not just with the wilderness but with himself. A heavy drinker with a troubled past, he is trying to come to terms with personal tragedy.

Accompanying him on his investigation is Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago), a rookie park ranger more accustomed to city life than to the wilds of Yosemite.

Ellie Smith, fellow co-showrunner, said: “Because Vasquez is new to the park, we get to see the park through her eyes.

“We get to understand what this job is, and see the beauty of the park, but also the dangers.”

Who is in the cast of Untamed?

Eric Bana

Eric Bana stars as Kyle Turner (Photo: Netflix)

Eric Bana stars as Kyle Turner, a special agent for the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch.

The Australian actor, 56, rose to fame in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal.

He went on to forge a career in films starring in movies such as Black Hawk Down, Hulk, Troy, Munich, The Other Boleyn Girl, Star Trek, The Time Traveller’s Wife, Deadfall, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and A Sacrifice.

On television, he has had leading roles in Something in the Air and Dirty John.

Sam Neill

Sam Neill plays Paul Souter (Photo: Netflix)

Sam Neill plays Paul Souter, the chief park ranger in Yosemite, a dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and friend to Turner.

The veteran New Zealand actor, 77, has played leading roles in major films such as The Piano, Jurassic Park, The Horse Whisperer, Wimbledon, The Hunter, Thor: Ragnarok, Blackbird and Assassin Club.

His television career has seen him appear in The Sullivans, Reilly, Ace of Spies, Merlin, The Tudors, Crusoe, Peaky Blinders and The Twelve.

Lily Santiago

Lily Santiago is Naya Vasquez (Photo: Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix)

Lily Santiago is Naya Vasquez, an ambitious young officer from Los Angeles who has joined Yosemite’s ranger squad to start a new life with her four-year-old son, Gael.

The American actress, 29, is best-known for playing Veronica Castillo in La Brea.

She has also appeared in Vineyards and Screwed.

Rosemarie DeWitt

Rosemarie DeWitt as Jill Bodwin (Photo: Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix)

Rosemarie DeWitt plays Jill Bodwin, Turner’s ex-wife, a former teacher and park counsellor who is now remarried.

The actress, 53, who has starred in films such as Rachel Getting Married, The Company Men, Your Sister’s Sister, Promised Land, La La Land, Arizona and Out of My Mind.

She is also known for her roles on television such as Emily Lehman in Standoff, Charmaine Craine in United States of Tara, Linda McCullough in Little Fires Everywhere and Daphne Campbell in The Boys.

The cast of Untamed also features:

• William Smillie as Bruce Milch (Chicago Fire, Dark Matter)
• Wilson Bethel as Shane Maguire (Hart of Dixie, All Rise)
• Raoul Max Trujillo as Jay Stewart (Mayans MC, Dark Winds)
• Josh Randall as Scott Bodwin (Station 19, Ozark)
• Ezra Franky as Lucy
• Ezra Wilson as Caleb (Virgin River, Fire Country)
• Omi Fitzpatrick-Gonzales as Gael Vasquez
• Joe Holt and Lawrence Hamilton (Bel-Air, All American: Homecoming)
• Nicola Correia-Damude as Esther Avalos (Resident Alien, Pillow Talk)
• Trevor Carroll as Begay (Resident Alien, The Flash)
• Taylor Hickson as Summer (North of North, Motherland: Fort Salem)
• Iris Quinn as Mary Souter (The Wish Swap, Firefly Lane)

When is Untamed on Netflix and how many episodes are there?

Untamed arrives on Netflix on Thursday 17 July and will be available to stream from 8am (BST).

There are six episodes in the series, all of which ready to watch on 17 July.

The show is exclusive to Netflix and so viewers will need a subscription which costs from £5.99 a month.

The show is set in the wilderness of Yosemite (Photo: Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix)

What are the reviews of Untamed saying?

There have been mixed reviews for the show so far.

Rebecca Nicholson for The Guardian gave Untamed three stars out of five in her review, describing it as “as easy on the eye as it is straightforward”.

She wrote: “This is US television in 2025, then: manly, gruff and outdoorsy.

“It opens with a sweeping shot of forests and mountains, before the American flag moves into the centre of the frame.

“There are bear attacks, gunfights and near-biblical levels of vengeance.

“It’s not the smartest of thrillers, but those mountains sure are lovely to look at.”

US publication Variety was much more favourable in its review calling Untamed and “engrossing ride that encompasses secrets, deep-seated wounds and one tenacious investigator’s attempt to lay it all bare”.

Reviewer Aramide Tinubu chose the show as “critic’s pick” and wrote: “Deeply layered and gripping, Untamed is a brilliant detective tale anchored by some of our worst human impulses.

“It is a story of pain, shame and the hope of redemption, even when there appears to be no way out.

“A series about justice, control and who gets to be remembered, it’s also a reminder that in the end, our true nature will always be revealed.”

While Carol Midgley at The Times gave the series four stars out of five, saying, “If you like your TV series to start with a bang and to cause a severe drop to your stomach then Untamed certainly delivers on that score”.

She added: “I will say this for the plot: it keeps you guessing with decent twists until the very end.

“Having watched all six episodes, I would never have guessed the outcome or the guilty party.

“Ultimately, it is a series which transcends, with ease, its central cliché.”