American Primeval Review: The Okayest, Bleakest Western Miniseries of 2025
American Primeval, the new 6-episode series on Netflix, is a mixed bag. There are a few elements to the miniseries that are well put together, but there are other components of it that don’t really work. It’s not dissimilar to the mishmashed career of the series’ creator and writer, Mark L. Smith. On one hand, he co-wrote The Revenant, a film nominated for 12 Academy Awards. On the other hand, he wrote the remake of the depraved and ultraviolent French film Martyrs that has a 9% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Speaking of ultraviolent, American Primeval isn’t so much violent as it is simply bleak. There’s as much violence as you’d expect with a sort of realistic-feeling Western show or movie, but the main overarching mood Smith’s going for is an overwhelming sense of bleakness.
After reading Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law fantasy series, I became familiar with the term grimdark. It is usually used in the fantasy book world to describe works that are categorized by tones/settings/stories that are particularly amoral and brutal. Think Game of Thrones or basically the exact opposite of the type of story that Lord of the Rings is. Grimdark stories often also feature endings that might not be satisfying for the average reader as we’re in a world where might is always right and good doesn’t necessarily triumph over evil.
American Primeval is basically a grimdark Western. If you have a Ven diagram of your interests that includes depressing stories on one half and Westerns on the other, you’ll be pleased to find American Primeval right there in the middle. Right from the series’ first episode you’ll get a feel for the type of show this is – and that’s fairly consistent throughout the series – so if you’re a fan of it, then you’ll appreciate American Primeval. If you don’t like your programs with an extra helping of the unpleasant though, steer clear because this show is certainly not for you.
As for the quality of American Primeval, it’s varied. On the plus side, the show is well-shot and has an above average score. Peter Berg, who I know mainly as the developer of Friday Night Lights (a show I greatly enjoy), directed these six episodes and he does a good job putting the pieces together.
The story itself, which is partially based on actual events, is, at best, average for a Western overall. There are three main storylines, with the primary one following a woman and her son on the run with the help of an unlikely loner with a past (which is as original as it sounds). This storyline is actually the worst of the three threads that we follow. Mainly, this is due to one of the biggest problems with the show: It does not have an interesting or compelling protagonist.
Betty Gilpin plays said protagonist, the woman on the run, Sara Rowell. Her performance isn’t anything to write home about, but it’s mainly the way her character is written that’s an issue. Sara is uninteresting and makes bad choice after bad choice. She’s maybe slightly annoying too (mainly because she keeps making decisions that are contrary to what anyone with common sense would do).
Taylor Kitsch plays opposite her as the mysterious and brooding guide, Isaac, and he acts about as well as he has in his past roles. If you’ve seen him on other TV shows or movies you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, I’ll just say that I’m sure he’s a nice person in real life. Even if the part had gone to a better actor though, it’s not like the character is unique or interesting.
The fact that the main people we’re supposed to root for are the worst part of American Primeval certainly doesn’t do the series any favors. In contrast to Sara and Isaac, side characters, like Jim Briger, who controls a large fort in a desirable location, and pretty much all of the Mormons on the show (who are the villains of the series) are way more interesting.
The idea of building a series around the events of the real-life Mountain Meadows Massacre, which is what the show does, isn’t a bad one. There’s probably a quality story that could be told building off of that event and involving the opposing forces of the Mormons, Native Americans, army, and other settlers in area. Unfortunately, American Primeval isn’t really that well-told, engaging story.
As it is, American Primeval is still totally fine if you’re in the mood for a bleak, totally okay, well-made Western. It’s never boring, and at only six episodes, you could definitely get through it in under a week. If the series had a stronger protagonist and a better primary storyline, American Primeval could’ve been drastically improved.
Grade: 6/10