Netflix’s new wilderness thriller Untamed, starring Eric Bana and Sam Neill, is making waves – but not just for its breathtaking scenery or dark murder mystery twist. Fans on Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) are questioning whether the show was actually written by a human… or by an AI trained to spit out every thriller trope in existence.
“Was Untamed written by AI? It literally has every cliché possible,” one Reddit user wrote in a viral thread this week. “The grizzled ranger with trauma, the rookie cop learning the ropes, the hallucinations of dead family, the wise indigenous tracker, the twist villain… it feels like ChatGPT wrote the outline.”
🔥 The Ultimate Checklist of Thriller Tropes
Indeed, Untamed features:
- A rugged national park ranger (Eric Bana) haunted by his past.
- A mysterious rookie detective who refuses to back down.
- A missing person’s case that reveals a massive cover-up.
- A wise Native American guide who helps track the killer.
- Hallucinations, addiction flashbacks, and gritty flash cuts.
- And, of course, a shocking twist ending that reveals the killer was close all along.
“It’s like True Detective, Yellowstone, Wind River, and every Liam Neeson revenge movie had a baby,” another Reddit comment said. “It’s still entertaining, but please… originality died here.”
🤖 Could AI Write Something Like Untamed?
Screenwriting analysts note that AI language models can indeed generate entire story outlines by remixing existing plots and archetypes. One user joked that the show felt like “someone typed ‘Wilderness murder thriller with shocking twist’ into ChatGPT and shot whatever it spit out.”
However, Untamed was created by real writers: Elle Smith and Mark L. Smith (of The Revenant fame). Director Jonathan Ogilvie defended the show’s style in a recent Variety interview, saying:
“We wanted something archetypal and deeply rooted in the thriller genre. Audiences crave familiarity – but with an emotional gut punch. That was our goal.”
🎥 Critics Are Split
Despite the AI jokes, Untamed currently holds an 83% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising its acting and atmosphere even while noting its reliance on standard genre beats. Some viewers love the comfort of a familiar thriller, while others demand fresh storytelling.
One X user summed up the debate perfectly:
“Untamed is like reading a thriller written by AI. Predictable, yes. But did I watch all 6 episodes in one night? Also yes.”
💭 Final Thoughts
Was Untamed written by AI? Officially, no. Spiritually… maybe a little.
But in the end, it proves that whether a story is crafted by humans or generated by machines, as long as it’s entertaining, people will keep watching – clichés and all.
