Netflix’s 'Untamed': A National Park Thriller With a Geographic Twist — From the Writer of 'American Primeval'

Netflix’s latest limited series Untamed opens with a death near Yosemite’s towering cliffs — a case that seems accidental, until small details start to unravel something darker.

Eric Bana stars as Kyle Turner, a National Park Service special agent sent into the wild to investigate. But the further he ventures into the forest, the more it becomes clear: the landscape is hiding more than just a body.

And here's the twist — while the story is firmly rooted in California’s Yosemite National Park, the series was filmed entirely in British Columbia, with locations like Mount Seymour, Grace Lake and Whistler doubling for the iconic granite of El Capitan. The result is surprisingly convincing.

Aerial shots of the real park are folded into scenes, giving Untamed an authentic atmosphere — even if the production never actually stepped foot in Yosemite (though films like Star Trek V and Temple of Doom once did).

The setting may be recreated, but it remains central to the show’s appeal. The forested landscape frames each scene, adding weight to every moment. Untamed is not just a procedural drama in outdoor clothing — it’s a tightly made mystery where nature and isolation play a genuine role. With six episodes and no confirmed second season, it tells its story economically, but with plenty of atmosphere.

So while the cliffs may not be where you think they are, the tension is real — and for fans of slow-burn thrillers with a strong sense of place, Untamed is worth a look.