Untamed parents guide: Why you shouldn't let your kids watch the Netflix series, explained

Untamed looks like just another Netflix drama, but once you start watching it, it's clear there's a lot here that isn't kid-friendly. The Netflix series, released in July this year, consists of six episodes in total, each running approximately fifty minutes.

Created by Mark L. Smith and Elle Smith, Untamed features Eric Bana, Sam Neill, and Rosemarie DeWitt in the main cast. While the show has earned a 7.1 rating on IMDb from over sixty thousand viewers, it's easy to see that it's not suitable for children.

With a TV-MA rating, the series follows mature themes, including suicide, violence, and substance abuse, along with intense scenes that make it more appropriate for adult audiences.

According to Netflix's description, Untamed is more suitable for kids above sixteen years of age. But even for older teens, some moments can be quite overwhelming.

Let's break down why Untamed can be such a heavy watch for young audiences and why parents should avoid letting their kids watch this particular Netflix series.

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Untamed Parents Guide: Why is this Netflix series rated TV-MA?

A series is rated TV-MA when it is created for mature audiences only, generally because it contains strong language, violence, or sexual content, and is not suitable for kids to watch. According to Netflix, Untamed revolves around:

"Kyle Turner, a special agent in an elite branch of the National Parks Service who works to enforce human law in nature’s vast wilderness. The investigation of a brutal death sends Turner on a collision course with the dark secrets within the park, and in his own past."

Along with Kyle Turner, a character played by Eric Bana, the series also gives attention to Naya Vasquez, a character played by Lily Santiago, another police officer in the series. While the description sounds pretty simple, like other suspenseful crime TV series, that's where parents might go wrong.

The series is tagged for sexual content on Netflix, and while it doesn't show explicit scenes, there is a brief moment of a couple's physical moment that falls under this category. Untamed also shows frightening moments, such as shootings and falls, that create tense scenes. On top of that, there's a moderate amount of violence and gore, frequent profanity, and depictions of smoking, drugs, and alcohol.

Viewers should be aware that the series shows dead bodies, and these scenes can be quite disturbing. All of this combined makes Untamed a show that's definitely not recommended for younger viewers.

While the series is rated TV-MA in the United States, other countries have given it different ratings. In Russia, Canada, and Turkey, it's 18+, the UK has rated it 15, Australia gives it MA15+, and in Mexico, the rating is listed as TODO.

Most other countries, such as Belgium, the Netherlands, and Taiwan, haven't set it above sixteen plus. The ratings provide parents a good reason not to let their kids watch the series, even under supervision.

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What makes Untamed an adult-only series?

Untamed is definitely not a show for kids. Even for adults, it's not an easy watch. Viewers will see the main character, Kyle Turner, struggling with the disappearance of his young son, Caleb, and its effects on him throughout the series.

Speaking of the character in Netflix Press, Bana said:

"There were a lot of discussions about that. We didn’t want him to appear almost like a ghost character. We wanted him to be there as a kind of spiritual guiding presence for Kyle."

The story's focus on loss can be tough to watch, even for grown-ups. The investigation begins with Jane Doe's body, later revealed as Lucy Cook. It seems like murder at first, but her death happens due to a series of events, not someone intentionally killing her.

The series also includes some scary moments, ending with Paul Souter taking his own life after things spiral out of control with his daughter, Lucy Cook, showing suicide.

While there is a little bit of romance, it's brief and clearly for older audiences, not children. Adding to that is violence and strong language, which includes curse words and blood, recommended for adult audiences.

Beyond this, the series explores complex choices and past mistakes that younger viewers may not fully comprehend. Overall, parents should definitely think twice before letting their kids watch it.

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The series is streaming on Netflix.

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