‘Untamed’ (2025) Netflix Series Review - Too Controlled, Too Basic

Untamed, created by Mark L. Smith and Elle Smith, has the kind of mood that can be described as heavy, even depressing. These feelings mainly originate from the performances of Eric Bana and Rosemarie DeWitt. In the series, they play ex-spouses grappling with the loss of a child. DeWitt's Jill starts trembling when a woman, who is investigating Bana's Kyle, mentions that dead child. Kyle, on the other hand, prefers to not talk about his long-gone son because he doesn't have the strength to go through all those intense, sad feelings. After that visit from the investigating woman, Jill goes to see Kyle and, inside his car, starts narrating an ice cream incident to him. What does he do? He doesn't hug her or tell her to be brave or strong or whatever. Kyle himself doesn't seem capable of being "brave" or "strong" in front of such a dark memory. Instead, he says that the investigator came to him to discuss Sean Sanderson and that they have no new information regarding his disappearance. There is something... formal about Kyle's behavior in this scene. He sits stiffly, as if trying hard to maintain his composure—to "save himself" from becoming messy. But his pain, his stress, is too evident. It rises to the surface with such force that the lines—the wrinkles—on his face deepen. They resemble psychological wounds; Kyle's face becomes the face of tragedy. 

If Bana and DeWitt give Untamed a hefty dose of melancholy, Lily Santiago, as Naya Vasquez, brings a touch of sweet joy to the series with her smile. The dimples that appear on both sides of her cheeks—when she cracks a joke about a coyote walking with a rifle, or when she's appreciated for her work—are soothing, charming, and quietly appealing. Naya's eager-to-prove-herself personality bounces beautifully against Kyle's tough, leave-me-alone bearing. It's a fantastic (and slightly funny) pairing. What I am trying to prove is that Untamed gets its force from Bana, Santiago, and DeWitt. They infuse some life, some vigor into an otherwise bland story. I liked how the cause of Kyle and Jill's divorce is first delivered through a line about Paul Souter (Sam Neill) being the godfather of Kyle's dead kid and how Naya's remark about swollen lips instantly reveals that his ex-partner was abusive, but Untamed largely feels exhausting and unstimulating. The drama unfolds plainly; the wilderness of Yosemite National Park serves as a pleasing distraction from a lack of visual energy and style. Untamed looks and feels like a standard Netflix series. After a while, it even begins to lumber, which might be Untamed's way of presenting itself "seriously." However, things that initially seem explosive fizzle out when they come under the spotlight. Naya's abusive partner stirs up minor trouble before being brushed aside. The Sean Sanderson thread doesn't turn out to be as surprising as the show teases it to be. We don't see how Jill's new husband responds to the confession, what he says, or what he thinks. By omitting these specifics, Untamed wastes the dramatic potential of the reveal. The gold tattoo, the Nevada trip, the creepy basement - it's all handled rather ordinarily. Nothing really piques your interest. You seem to be watching a literal translation from page to screen. And I was also turned off by the mushy I-can-see-the-dead-kid device.

Untamed's weakness becomes more apparent when the real culprit behind the murder is revealed. I suspected him from the beginning. This character isn't given much screen time, so that you don't end up thinking too much about him, which might be the show's way of distracting you from the real bad guy. I can only call this decision a complete disaster because this revelation also contains some great emotions that lose their intensity. I cannot proceed without a spoiler warning, so...consider this a spoiler warning. The murderer turns out to be Paul, and Kyle is the one who confronts him. Given that Paul helped Kyle maintain his sanity during a dark time, shouldn't Kyle be more conflicted about reporting his good friend and colleague? Where is this inner turmoil? Why doesn't it appear on the screen? Paul and Kyle's face-to-face meeting should have erupted with palpable feelings. Yet, it comes across as flat, unexceptional, and trifling. L. Smith was also responsible for American Primeval, and, like that Western thriller, Untamed, suffers from thin writing and a pace that quickly becomes frustrating. Maybe the story should have also been untamed; it could have detonated with a manic zing. Alas, it's too controlled, too basic.  

Final Score- [3.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times