Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Limited Series – American Primeval

Play trailer 1:05 Poster for Limited Series – American Primeval Jan 2025 Action Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
72% Tomatometer 60 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
A mother and son fleeing from their past form a found family while confronting a harsh landscape of freedom and cruelty in the American West.
Watch on Netflix Stream Now

Where to Watch

American Primeval — Limited Series

American Primeval — Limited Series

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Handsomely shot and thoroughly grim, American Primeval drives home its point about a nation's bone-deep savagery to persuasive, and sometimes deadening, effect.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Clarisse Loughrey Flicks (AU, NZ, UK) Apr 3
Creates the idea that there’s something innately inhospitable about this entire land, depicted always as muddy and foul, despite the fact people like the Shoshone had thrived for centuries before all this deprivation, destruction, and forced migration. Go to Full Review
Graeme Blundell The Australian Feb 7
It’s a visually arresting piece of work, the colours muted and grim as the storyline, full of pain, fear and confusion. Go to Full Review
Carol Midgley The Times (UK) 01/27/2025
3/5
This is, to be clear, high-quality misery and an educational antidote to sentimental myth. Whether you want to put yourself through it is a matter for you. Go to Full Review
Mini Anthikad-Chhibber The Hindu May 16
The Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857 and the vicious struggle for control in the Wild West come alive in exquisite frames and shocking violence Go to Full Review
Susan Granger SSG Syndicate Mar 17
7/10
Grungy, gory, savage depiction of a ''Wanted' woman and her young son traveling through the the Utah Territory in the Old American West - circa 1857 - focusing on the Mormons and Native Shoshone, Southern Paiute and Ute tribes. Go to Full Review
Marcelo Stiletano La Nación (Argentina) Feb 16
3/5
The argument that only extreme realist can reconstruct what happened at that time and place doesn't feel enough. The insistence on this theme makes the narrative, at times, an exhibitionist display of gratuitous cruelty. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
fred v Jan 18 Brutal and intense but arguably the best TV series about the American West. Superb acting, great photography and dramatic and bloody action. It's dark but truly unmissable. See more D H @Gotham Dec 30 American Primeval is a grim and uncompromising Western that aims to dismantle the romantic myths of the American frontier. The series is visually striking, using harsh landscapes and raw imagery to create a strong sense of place. Performances from the lead cast bring intensity and emotional weight to the story. Its focus on violence and survival reinforces the brutality of the era, though this darkness can feel relentless. While the themes are ambitious, the writing and character development are uneven at times. Some scenes rely more on shock than substance, limiting emotional payoff. The show also takes broad historical liberties, which has divided viewers. Overall, it’s a bold but polarizing series that will appeal most to fans of bleak, realistic Western dramas. See more Austin R @austinrian Dec 18 Superbly shot, acted, and written- plus a a phenomenal soundtrack from Explosions In The Sky. American Primeval exhumes beauty through tragic brutality. See more Romas M @Romas Nov 29 Greetings from Lithuania. "American Primeval" is a mini series created by Peter Berg. It is a brutal, realistic and bloody series set in US. It reminded me both of "Revenant" and "Hostiles", and while "American Primeval" does not reach greatness of those two movies, i enjoyed it very much. Only the ending was very conventional and predictable. Taylor Kirch lead this series in an excellent performance. Cinematography, set design, costumes, music were all top notch. Overall, "American Primeval" is good western series. Very realistic in depiction of violence and nature but with a predictable ending, still recommended if you enjoyed movies like "Revenant" or "Hostiles". See more Giacomo Jay G Nov 29 Loved the overall tone and style, for some reason the ending felt way too cheesy and corny compared to the rest of the series - still - pretty cool project that is definitely worth a watch See more Leslie R Nov 23 Great series with lots of action, interesting plots, great acting and wonderful cinematography. Taylor Kitsch was awesome! See more Read all reviews
American Primeval — Limited Series

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Jan 9, 2025 At a desolate outpost, Sara and her son Devin forge new connections while searching for a guide to help them navigate treacherous trails further west. Details Episode 2 Aired Jan 9, 2025 A frightening encounter takes Sara's party by surprise; a deeply wounded Jacob forms a posse to find Abish; Isaac reconnects with his past. Details Episode 3 Aired Jan 9, 2025 Following a lead, Jacob joins a bounty hunter's search; Brigham Young rides into Fort Bridger; Sara, Devin and Isaac come face-to-face with evil. Details Episode 4 Aired Jan 9, 2025 Red Feather vows to fight; Jacob acts on his suspicions; Abish receives shocking news; en route to Crooks Springs, the elements intensify. Details Episode 5 Aired Jan 9, 2025 As Devin's leg worsens, Sara faces a terrifying choice; Brigham Young makes Bridger an offer; Abish delivers a stark warning to the Shoshone. Details Episode 6 Aired Jan 9, 2025 Ignoring the danger, Isaac sets out to rescue Sara; Jacob's search for Abish comes to an end; Bridger celebrates before saying goodbye. Details
The Terminal List: Dark Wolf 75% 80% The Terminal List: Dark Wolf Watchlist TRAILER for The Terminal List: Dark Wolf Rabbit Hole 76% 84% Rabbit Hole Watchlist TRAILER for Rabbit Hole Tyrant 60% 78% Tyrant Watchlist Condor 87% 78% Condor Watchlist TRAILER for Condor The Diplomat 92% 73% The Diplomat Watchlist TRAILER for The Diplomat Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Season Info

Director
Peter Berg
Creator
Mark L. Smith
Network
Netflix
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Action, Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date
Jan 9, 2025
More Top TV Picks Netflix