Just finished the 6-episode mini-series called American Primeval. It's set in 1857 Utah territory and follows a violent story line that includes the Morman struggle to maintain control of the Utah territory, US expansionism, and Native cultures fighting to hold on to their ancient lands. There is nothing sugar-coated or PC or political about this series. It's a realistic look at life on the frontier. A daily fight for survival in a world where nothing is convenient or safe. If you liked Revenant (which I loved), this is very much in that same vein. Many of the main characters are actual real people. Yes, there was a bloody war in Utah involving the Mormans, the US Army, frontiersmen, and natives. A round-robin of violence. Nobody is the good guy or the bad guy…well, except the Mormans come out looking pretty bad.
It's uber-violent, but not gory and gratuitous. It's just how it was. The hardships endured on the wild west frontier are things we simply can't comprehend. The moral code was a bit different for those people.
I am by no means an historian, but I have studied history enough to know that the US western frontier in the 1800s, particularly in the mountainous areas, was probably one of the most dangerous and difficult places to exist in history. If that sort of thing interests you, then I highly recommend it.
American Primeval | Official Trailer | Netflix
