Netflix’s latest hit, American Primeval, has taken the streaming platform by storm, landing at the No. 1 spot with its grim and bloody portrayal of the pre-Civil War American West. Created by The Revenant screenwriter Mark L. Smith and directed by Peter Berg, the six-episode limited series sets out to tell a story of survival, violence, and clashing cultures. With a star-studded cast led by Taylor Kitsch and Betty Gilpin, the show ambitiously tackles a sprawling narrative—but not without taking some creative liberties with history.

Set against the backdrop of the 1857–58 Utah War, a conflict between Mormon settlers and the federal government, American Primeval centers on a group of characters navigating the lawless wilderness. Among them are Sara (Gilpin), a widow journeying west with her son; Isaac (Kitsch), a reclusive guide haunted by tragedy; and Jacob Pratt (Dane DeHaan), a Mormon emigrant desperately searching for his missing wife. Their paths intertwine with a colorful array of figures, including Shoshone leaders, bounty hunters, and frontiersman Jim Bridger (Shea Whigham).

Though the series attempts to spotlight the infamous Mountain Meadows Massacre, it significantly tones down the historical event. In reality, the massacre involved the brutal slaughter of over 120 members of a California-bound emigrant wagon train by Mormon militia and their Native American allies. The show simplifies and condenses the event, focusing instead on individual acts of violence and a smaller-scale attack. This creative decision likely reflects an effort to balance historical accuracy with the demands of dramatic storytelling.

American Primeval doesn’t shy away from its overarching theme: the inevitability of violence. “The West was a violent place,” Berg has said, underscoring the show’s focus on the unrelenting brutality of the era. Yet this approach, while striking, feels familiar. By portraying violence as an unavoidable force rather than a consequence of human choices, the series risks reducing its characters to mere victims of circumstance.

Despite its flaws, the show does succeed in capturing the chaotic reality of the West. Religious tensions between Mormon settlers and their neighbors take center stage, adding a layer of depth often missing in Western dramas. Still, the series struggles under the weight of its many storylines, some of which feel derivative of other works in the genre.

Ultimately, American Primeval is a visually stunning, if uneven, exploration of the American frontier. It excels in atmosphere and character-driven moments but falters when it comes to delivering a fresh perspective on a well-trodden genre.