--- title: "American Primeval: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/american-primeval/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/american-primeval" critics_score: 57 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # American Primeval (2025): what the critics said Critics' score 57 from 10 reviews: 3 positive, 5 mixed, 2 negative. The consensus on American Primeval is mixed, with praise clustering around its immersive western setting, arresting photography and forcefully choreographed violence. Even several unconvinced critics acknowledge the action’s immediate impact. Performances provide another point of approval, though there is no single favourite: the reviews single out Betty Gilpin’s quieter scenes, Shea Whigham’s Jim Bridger, and Dane DeHaan and Saura Lightfoot-Leon’s portrayal of religious zealotry and fear. The broad spread of opinion turns largely on whether the brutality remains compelling or becomes numbing. Reservations recur around crowded plotting, thin characters and familiar ideas, while Indigenous characters are judged underwritten even by some admirers. Collider is the clearest enthusiast, particularly praising the chemistry between Gilpin and Taylor Kitsch, despite finding Indigenous storylines lacking. The Hollywood Reporter takes a markedly harsher view, finding the initial visceral force gives way to repetition, with little fresh insight or empathy. ## Variety — Aramide Tinubu Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 2025. Tinubu finds the series brutally violent yet compelling, with an immersive depiction of the volatile American West. She particularly praises the detailed on-location cinematography and its varied perspectives on the period. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/american-primeval-review-netflix-taylor-kitsch-1236267125/) ## Empire — David Opie Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 2025. Opie finds the series worth watching despite its relentless violence, predictable ending, and occasional one-note characterization. He praises its exceptionally well-choreographed violence and singles out Betty Gilpin’s performance in the quieter scenes. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/american-primeval/) ## Vulture — Roxana Hadadi Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 2025. Hadadi finds the miniseries uneven but admirable, with several compelling storylines that do not cohere into a fully successful whole. She praises the friction between Brigham Young and Jim Bridger, while faulting the Native characters for being underwritten and their story for stopping short of needed historical context. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/american-primeval-netflix-western-miniseries-review.html) ## The AV Club — Tim Lowery Rating C. 9 January 2025. The critic finds the miniseries frustratingly bleak and heavyhanded, with relentless violence that numbs its storylines. They praise its arresting visuals and chaotic, impressively choreographed opening sequence. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/american-primeval-review-netflix-peter-berg) ## The i Paper — Tilly Pearce Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 2025. Pearce finds the series a gripping, unflinchingly brutal watch, but says its many storylines make it overpacked and uneven. She praises Dane DeHaan and Saura Lightfoot-Leon for capturing the period’s horrors and religious zealotry. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/american-primeval-review-netflix-not-for-faint-hearted-3468222) ## IndieWire — Ben Travers Rating C-. 9 January 2025. Travers finds the series an unrelenting, bleak western that is unlikely to reward most viewers. He praises the vivid, jarring action scenes, while faulting the performances for struggling to rise above the dirge. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/american-primeval-review-netflix-series-1235083673/) ## The Guardian — Lucy Mangan Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 2025. Mangan finds the series gripping but too familiar and lacking the heft it seems to aspire to. She praises its compelling yarn while faulting its inability to move beyond familiar modern-western ideas. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/jan/09/american-primeval-review-this-samey-western-is-far-less-clever-than-it-thinks-it-is) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 2025. Fienberg finds the series viscerally effective at first but ultimately monotonous and cynically repetitive. He praises Peter Berg’s immersive depiction of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, while faulting the show for offering little fresh insight or empathy. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/american-primeval-review-betty-gilpin-netflix-peter-berg-1236098692/) ## Collider — Maggie Lovitt Rating 9/10. 9 January 2025. Lovitt calls the series a brilliant, prestigious Western epic and argues it deserves better than a binge release. She particularly praises the compelling friendship and exceptional chemistry between Betty Gilpin and Taylor Kitsch, while noting that Indigenous characters lack storylines of their own. [Read the review](https://collider.com/american-primeval-review/) ## Paste — Elijah Gonzalez Rating 4.8/10. 9 January 2025. Gonzalez finds the series a shallow, gratuitously violent western that squanders its historical setting. He praises Shea Whigham’s performance as Jim Bridger but faults the thin characters and muddled plotting. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/netflix/american-primeval-review-netflix-western) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/american-primeval.md