7 Shows Like ‘Untamed’ If You Need More Gritty Crime Dramas Set In The Great Outdoors

To say that Netflix’s newest crime drama Untamed left fans wanting more would be an understatement. The gripping murder mystery at the center of the show gets wrapped up in only six episodes, leaving viewers with an Untamed-sized hole in their hearts after just a few hours of bingewatching. Never fear — while you wait for Untamed Season 2 to come out, we at Decider came prepared with some recommendations so you don’t have to go restarting the same show a thousand times over.

Set in the wide-reaching forests of Yosemite National Park, Untamed centers on the case of an unidentified woman whose body plummets off the cliff of El Capitan. Stoic investigative agent Kyle Turner (Eric Bana) senses that there was some foul play involved, and it’s up to him, his horse, and rookie park ranger Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago) to solve the case. Turner slowly connects the incident to an underground drug ring and unsolved cases from his own troubled past, and must wrestle with his grief and trauma along the way.

So, if you like Untamed, that means you like gritty crime dramas following damaged characters confronting their demons along with the natural, woodsy environment around them. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’re in luck — we have curated a list of seven shows across multiple platforms that are sure to fit the bill. Read on for our recommendations of shows to watch if you love Untamed.

1. WHO’S THIS FOR: Those looking for another crime drama exploring a broken family at its center.

   RATING: TV-14

   YEAR: 2025

   CAST: Jessica Biel, Elizabeth Banks, Kim Dickens, Lorraine Toussaint

   DESCRIPTION: The most compelling relationship in Untamed is arguably the one between Turner and his ex-wife Jill, who share a deep trauma bond despite the gaping rift between them which formed after their son was killed. The Better Sister takes a painful, deeply complex dynamic like the one between Turner and Jill and puts it at the forefront of the series. The drama focuses on Chloe (Biel) and Nicky (Banks), two estranged sisters reunited after Chloe’s husband is murdered. Heartbreaking and wonderfully intense, the series dives into their complicated relationship as the murder investigation uncovers deep family secrets. 

   Watch the better sister on prime video

3. WHO’S THIS FOR: Fans who were enthralled by the Indigenous folklore of Untamed.

   RATING: TV-MA

   YEAR: 2022

   CAST: Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten, Deanna Allison

   DESCRIPTION: Imagine if the sage Native American ranger Jay Stewart (Raoul Trujillo) had agent Turner’s job in Untamed. Now imagine if the setting switched from current day Yosemite National Park to Navajo land in the 1970s. This is essentially the gist of Dark Winds — Navajo tribal police officers Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (McClarnon) and rookie Deputy Jim Chee (Gordon) investigate murders and interconnected crimes while butting heads with the highly superstitious and ritualistic community around them. Steeped in themes exploring Indigenous mysticism and reservation life, this fresh twist on a crime drama is perfect for the Untamed fans who got chills every time they saw the tribal “danger” symbols scratched into the walls of various crime scenes.

   watch dark winds on amc+

4. WHO’S THIS FOR: Viewers who can’t get enough of spooky forest thrillers.

   RATING: TV-MA

   YEAR: 2017

   CAST: Samuel Labarthe, Suzanne Clément, Alexia Barlier, Frédéric Diefenthal

   DESCRIPTION: If a body falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? That’s the question that French crime drama The Forest grapples with. When a teenage girl from a small village goes missing in the Ardennes Forest, police officials and a mysterious teacher with her own secrets go looking for her. As the search continues, more chilling truths tied to the forest are revealed. Watch this if you’re looking for another dark, haunting show with a beautiful nature setting as its backdrop.

   watch the forest on netflix

5. WHO’S THIS FOR: Those who want a woodsy, all-American drama that’s a bit more historical.

   RATING: TV-MA

   YEAR: 2024

   CAST: Taylor Kitsch, Betty Gilpin, Dane DeHaan, Shea Wigham

   DESCRIPTION: What’s a better recommendation for fans of a series co-created by Mark L. Smith than another series created by him? This Emmy-nominated historical drama takes place in 1857 Utah Territory. While running away with her son, Sara Rowell (Gilpin) must traverse a violent, war-torn landscape filled with Mormon settlers, pioneers, Indigenous tribes, and U.S. Army officials all trying to take control of the frontier. You can definitely see how Smith may have pulled inspiration from this project during the making of Untamed — both series share the same gritty Western atmosphere that drives the story and almost becomes a character itself. Smith truly struck gold twice.

   watch american primeval on netflix

6. WHO’S THIS FOR: Agent Turner fangirls. 

   RATING: TV-MA

   YEAR: 2022

   CAST: Julianna Guill, Kamryn Pliva, Michael Dorman, Sharon Lawrence

   DESCRIPTION: Let this be your next watch if you got the hots for agent Turner riding his trusted stallion through the woods. Set against the remote, natural landscapes of rural Wyoming, this environmentalist crime drama follows game warden Joe Pickett (Dorman) as he enforces wildlife laws and investigates vicious crimes against nature and humanity. A family man like Turner, the hardened tree-hugger must also protect his family from harm when they begin receiving mysterious threats. If you like to see rugged woodsmen doing their rugged thing, this show is for you.

   Watch joe pickett on paramount+

7. WHO’S THIS FOR: Fans fascinated by Yosemite’s underground drug ring.

   RATING: TV-MA

   YEAR: 2025

   CAST: Holt McCalleny, Jake Weary, Maria Bello, Melissa Benoist

   DESCRIPTION: If your favorite scene in Untamed was when that one kid got iced for helping Turner solve the mystery of those gold-X pill bottles, this is the show you need to watch next. In a coastal town in North Carolina, the Buckley family’s powerful fishing empire becomes increasingly ravaged by financial ruin. To keep his business afloat, family patriarch Harlan (McCalleny) must come out of retirement and get his family back into the ruthless underground drug-smuggling scene. While this crime drama can’t be considered a murder mystery, it’s got plenty of murder and plenty of mystery, especially when it comes to all the juicy Buckley family secrets that come swimming to the surface over the course of the show. Add this show to your list if you’re hungry for more drug cartels and messy family dynamics.

   Watch the waterfront on netflix

8. WHO’S THIS FOR: Viewers more interested in solving the mystery of agent Turner than Lucy Cooke.

   RATING: TV-MA

   YEAR: 2021

   CAST: Kate Winslet, Evan Peters, Jean Smart, Julianne Nicholson

   DESCRIPTION: One of the most gripping aspects of Untamed is watching Turner as he wrestles with his trauma and grief and is forced to confront the mistakes and failed investigations of his past. If you’re searching for another deeply introspective murder mystery, look no further than Mare of Easttown. In the small, fictional town of Easttown, Pennsylvania, Detective Mare Sheehan (Winslet) attempts to uncover the truth behind the murder of a teen mom while also mourning the death of her son and feeling shame over a past unsolved case. As it goes on, the series hinges more on Mare’s journey of making peace with her demons than the murder she investigates. Watch this show if you want to watch another stoic criminal investigator have an emotional breakthrough.

   watch mare of easttown on hbo max

Watch Untamed now on Netflix.