Netflix’s Untamed just made my childhood dream come true, and I didn’t even have to leave my sofa

If you’re looking for a new series to watch on Netflix this weekend, I’d highly recommend Untamed. With its cast led by Eric Bana (Troy), it follows a federal agent who is sent to solve the mystery of a woman’s death in a lawless national park. Over six nail-biting episodes, we learn the truth about the woman in question, who she is and who else gets caught up in the chaos with some serious repercussions.

Out of everything new on Netflix in July 2025, this story might just be the most predictable. However, don’t write that off as a bad thing. With so many metaphorical plates spinning at any given time, being able to appreciate details in the moment is exactly what you want when the tough gets going (well, it does for Bana, not for us).

There’s an additional win in Untamed’s approach, too. If I’m being honest, the mysterious murder at its core is the least interesting thing about what’s happening on screen. In the opening scenes alone, one of my childhood dreams has been brought perfectly to life, and now I can relive the magic anytime I want to… and so can you.

Netflix’s Untamed doesn’t thrive on its murder mystery, but the beauty of Yosemite National Park

If you were a kid in the late 1990s, you likely watched the Disney movie Pocahontas and wondered if the mountain she jumps off during ‘Colours of the Wind’ is actually real. Turns out, it is, and you can see exactly the same breathtaking vistas in Yosemite National Park, California. Ever since watching the classic film, I’ve wanted to go there, and now I can anytime I turn on the TV.

What sets Untamed apart from your typical crime procedural is its setting, with Netflix quickly reminding us that “nature obeys no rules”. The sheer scope of the untouched natural world means solving a crime is a lot more difficult to do than in a built up, inhabited area, automatically making Untamed’s existing plot that little bit meatier. But we’re not watching to find out the answer we already know that’s coming, are we?

Instead, we’re visualising ourselves trekking the mountain trails that ascend for hours, stopping off at viewpoints to take photos of El Capitan that will never reflect the beauty of seeing it in person and watching climbers pitch their paths on the cliffs, unable to look away. There is nothing like the beauty of Yosemite, and being immersed in Untamed means being immersed in something much bigger than ourselves.

As an adult, I’ve been lucky enough to visit Yosemite twice, and it’s every bit what you hope it is when you see something like Untamed. I’m so excited for subscribers who don’t even know the national park exists to see the never-ending mountainous glory. While it doesn’t seem real in the slightest, rest assured that what you’re seeing is not CGI. Frankly, I don’t think there’s ever been a prettier crime drama committed to film.

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Netflix’s Untamed just made my childhood dream come true, and I didn’t even have to leave my sofa