Netflix’s new #1 show just racked up 24.6 million views. The streamer’s latest global hit is a gritty mystery set in Yosemite National Park — and it’s already topping charts around the world. “Untamed,” a new six-episode limited series starring Eric Bana, just debuted at #1 globally on Netflix after having amassed more than 24 million views since its release last Thursday. In fact, the show is now the most-watched title on the platform in a staggering 76 countries, including the U.S.
That puts “Untamed” firmly in the global spotlight this week — not just for its popularity, but also for its dark, character-driven storytelling. Netflix updates its global Top 10 rankings every Tuesday, and if this first-week performance is any indication, “Untamed” could be poised for a long reign at the top. Also worth noting: Critics and fans are more or less in alignment about the show, at least as far as its Rotten Tomatoes scores go (79% and 72%, respectively). That’s something you don’t often see.
A thriller set in the wilderness
Created by Mark L. Smith and Elle Smith, “Untamed” follows special agent Kyle Turner (Bana), who’s tasked with solving a murder in Yosemite’s vast wilderness. Turner is part of an elite unit within the National Parks Service that investigates serious crimes (who knew that was a thing?), and the killer he’s after seems to know the area just as well as he does. A less experienced park ranger (Lily Santiago) who’s more used to the big city than the outdoors helps Turner with his investigation.
“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,” Smith tells Netflix’s Tudum. “I love stripping all the cheats away, stripping all the more modern tools that people can use. It really gets down to the character and what they can find within themselves.”
Alongside Bana, the cast includes Sam Neill as a veteran park ranger, Rosemarie DeWitt as Turner’s ex-wife, and Wilson Bethel as a reclusive wildlife officer. With all six episodes now streaming, “Untamed” offers a deep dive into some of nature’s darker corners — a place where the line between hunter and hunted gets blurry fast.
