Reacher Fans, Netflix’s Untamed Is Your Next Must-Watch Thrill Ride

If you loved the punch-in-the-face style of Prime Video's Reacher and you’re currently twiddling your thumbs waiting for more shirtless crime-solving, Netflix might just have your next obsession. There’s a gritty series called Untamed that sort of sneaked onto the platform, led by Eric Bana as a rough-around-the-edges agent set loose in the wildest corners of Yosemite National Park. Think less cozy campfires, more looming cliffs, questionable deaths, and emotional baggage. Honestly, if someone told me Yosemite was this hazardous, I’d stick to the gift shop.

‘Untamed’ – A Familiar Type, But Not a Carbon Copy

Let’s be real: Untamed has plenty of familiar DNA. It leans hard into the ‘lone investigator peels back a web of secrets’ formula. Eric Bana’s character, Kyle Turner, definitely fits the bill of the stoic action hero—lots of brooding, not so much with the small talk—but unlike Reacher’s robotic precision, Turner is a little more unpredictable (translation: messier, angrier, occasionally unpredictable in ways that make you second-guess rooting for him).

The real wildcard here? Yosemite itself. This show doesn’t just use the park as an Instagram backdrop—the wilderness is basically a shady supporting character. There’s beauty, sure: waterfalls, endless forests, jagged cliffs. But all that untouched nature makes for prime real estate when it comes to hiding bodies, running shady operations, or just ramping up that sense of isolation until you start to feel a little twitchy on Turner’s behalf. I’m not saying the trees are haunted, but honestly, nothing would surprise me.

There’s a definite echo of True Detective and Ozark here—lots of slow-burn tension and conspiracy digging—but Untamed sets itself apart by making the landscape an active, relentless obstacle. The setting buries secrets and amplifies Turner’s personal spiral. If you want soothing wilderness vibes, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

So, What Actually Happens? And Why Didn’t Everyone Watch?

The actual plot kicks off as your standard ‘something fishy in the woods’ mystery, but snowballs into a much nastier mix of violence, corruption, and stuff way above Turner’s pay grade. The case gets ugly, fast.

Untamed was a ratings hit out of the gate—it even topped Netflix’s charts for a hot minute—but it hasn’t (yet) reached the meme-status or staying power of Reacher. Still, Netflix saw enough promise to break the original ‘limited series’ promise and commission a second season. That’s a reversal you don’t see every day.

Let me highlight this quote from the network suits:

'Untamed was originally intended as a one-and-done miniseries, but the response convinced us there was more story to tell.'

Why It Works: Great Cast, Strong Numbers (and Some Wilderness Therapy)

Eric Bana turns in a performance that’s both tough and genuinely haunted. Critics loved him. The show scored a strong 83% on Rotten Tomatoes—pretty impressive considering how picky critics get about these moody thrillers. The visuals help too: those sweeping drone shots, the creeping sense of dread, and the sort of ‘could die at any moment’ stakes that make you want to double-check if your doors are locked.

• Main Cast: Eric Bana plays Kyle Turner (broken, dangerous, trying his best). Lily Santiago and Sam Neill tag in for support—each bringing their own secrets and skills.
• Coming in Season 2: Shea Whigham, Moon Bloodgood, and Kekoa Kekumano join the mix. No official premiere date yet, but these additions are making season two sound crowded—in a good way.

Story-wise, Untamed isn’t afraid to lean into slow-burn reflection one minute, and outbursts of raw violence the next. There’s a meditative edge to it all, but don’t get too relaxed—it’s not above a well-timed, nerve-wracking twist just when you think you’ve figured things out. If you want your thriller to showcase a bit of humanity and more than a few punches to the gut (sometimes literally), this is in your wheelhouse.

Long story short: If you’re counting the days until Reacher’s inevitable return (expect that in 2026, plus a Neagley spin-off also on the way), Untamed is a smart stopgap—familiar but with enough edge and surprises to make it worth your time. Netflix might not have expected it to be a franchise in the making, but here we are.