Dark Winds (2022)
TV show · 2022 · Crime, Drama, Mystery · English
Curator score: 6.7/10 (32.3K ratings)
Tagline: Justice has no boundaries.
This psychological thriller follows two Navajo police officers, Leaphorn and Chee, in the 1970s Southwest as their search for clues in a grisly double murder case forces them to challenge their own spiritual beliefs and come to terms with the trauma of their pasts.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 6.7/10
- IMDb: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
- Metacritic: 82
- TMDB: 7.5/10
Production: AMC Studios, Rolling Cactus, Eleventh Northwest, Startling Television, Tina Elmo Productions, Fevre River Packet Company
Cast: Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten, Deanna Allison, Isabel DeRoy-Olson, Franka Potente
Where to watch: Netflix, AMC+, Philo, Spectrum On Demand, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict: A moody, character-driven mystery with a strong sense of place, Dark Winds blends procedural investigation with spiritual unease and slow-burn psychological tension. It’s especially rewarding for viewers who like atmospheric crime drama, Indigenous representation, and a case-of-the-season structure that deepens the characters over time.
Best for: Fans of atmospheric crime dramas; Viewers who like slow-burn mysteries; Audiences interested in Indigenous-led storytelling; People who enjoy 1970s period settings; Fans of grounded thrillers with spiritual and psychological elements
Skip if: You want fast, twist-heavy plotting; You prefer glossy, high-energy procedurals; You dislike deliberate pacing; You want a show that stays purely procedural without character introspection
Overview: Dark Winds is one of the more distinctive contemporary crime dramas on television, largely because it uses the framework of a detective series to explore grief, identity, and cultural memory. The 1970s Southwest setting gives it a dry, haunted texture, and the show’s sense of place is as important as the murder investigation itself.
Worth noting: The series works best when it leans into its mood: quiet tension, moral ambiguity, and the uneasy overlap between law enforcement and spiritual belief. Zahn McClarnon anchors it with a restrained, deeply felt performance, and the supporting cast helps the world feel lived-in rather than schematic.
Bottom line: As a viewing experience, it’s more measured than propulsive, so patience is rewarded. If you like mysteries that unfold with patience and emotional weight, and you appreciate a series that grows richer through its characters rather than through constant plot escalation, this is an easy recommendation.
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Topics: crime drama, mystery, psychological thriller, slow burn, period piece, Southwest setting, atmospheric, character-driven, Indigenous representation, procedural
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/tv-show/dark-winds/128904
Dark Winds (2022)
TV show · 2022 · Crime, Drama, Mystery · English
Curator score: 6.7/10 (32.3K ratings)
Justice has no boundaries.
Overview This psychological thriller follows two Navajo police officers, Leaphorn and Chee, in the 1970s Southwest as their search for clues in a grisly double murder case forces them to challenge their own spiritual beliefs and come to terms with the trauma of their pasts.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.7/10
IMDb: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Metacritic: 82
TMDB: 7.5/10
Production AMC Studios, Rolling Cactus, Eleventh Northwest, Startling Television, Tina Elmo Productions, Fevre River Packet Company
Cast Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten, Deanna Allison, Isabel DeRoy-Olson, Franka Potente
Where to watch Netflix, AMC+, Philo, Spectrum On Demand, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A moody, character-driven mystery with a strong sense of place, Dark Winds blends procedural investigation with spiritual unease and slow-burn psychological tension. It’s especially rewarding for viewers who like atmospheric crime drama, Indigenous representation, and a case-of-the-season structure that deepens the characters over time.
Best for
Fans of atmospheric crime dramas
Viewers who like slow-burn mysteries
Audiences interested in Indigenous-led storytelling
People who enjoy 1970s period settings
Fans of grounded thrillers with spiritual and psychological elements
Skip if
You want fast, twist-heavy plotting
You prefer glossy, high-energy procedurals
You dislike deliberate pacing
You want a show that stays purely procedural without character introspection
Overview
Dark Winds is one of the more distinctive contemporary crime dramas on television, largely because it uses the framework of a detective series to explore grief, identity, and cultural memory. The 1970s Southwest setting gives it a dry, haunted texture, and the show’s sense of place is as important as the murder investigation itself.
Worth noting
The series works best when it leans into its mood: quiet tension, moral ambiguity, and the uneasy overlap between law enforcement and spiritual belief. Zahn McClarnon anchors it with a restrained, deeply felt performance, and the supporting cast helps the world feel lived-in rather than schematic.
Bottom line
As a viewing experience, it’s more measured than propulsive, so patience is rewarded. If you like mysteries that unfold with patience and emotional weight, and you appreciate a series that grows richer through its characters rather than through constant plot escalation, this is an easy recommendation.
Recommended similar titles
2012 · Curator 0.9/10 (317 ratings) · Where to watch: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
A grounded Western-tinged crime series with a strong sense of place, reservation-adjacent storytelling, and a steady procedural rhythm.
2014 · Curator 9.3/10 (755.3K ratings) · Where to watch: TNT, Max
For viewers drawn to bleak atmosphere, philosophical undercurrents, and investigations that expose deeper personal damage.
2014 · Curator 9.6/10 (470.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu
Crime stories with regional specificity, dark humor, and escalating dread, especially appealing if you like stylized Americana.
2013 · Curator 5.8/10 (40.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu
Moody, slow-burn detective storytelling with trauma, landscape, and community dynamics at the center.
2021 · Curator 9.3/10 (221.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A character-first murder mystery where the investigation is inseparable from personal history and local texture.
2021 · Curator 8.8/10 (28.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu
A very different tone, but essential for its Indigenous perspective, community focus, and lived-in cultural specificity.
2018 · Curator 7.8/10 (310.5K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Philo, Peacock Premium Plus
For the rugged regional setting, family conflict, and modern Western atmosphere, though it is much more melodramatic.
2013 · Curator 1.3/10 (1.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Spectrum On Demand, Max
More pulpy and violent, but it shares a propulsive crime framework and a vivid sense of place.
2016 · Curator 9.0/10 (194.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Pure Flix, Max
A serious, immersive crime drama that focuses on process, consequence, and the human cost of a case.
2004 · Curator 8.6/10 (129.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
For viewers who appreciate richly textured frontier storytelling, moral complexity, and dialogue-driven tension.
Topics
crime drama, mystery, psychological thriller, slow burn, period piece, Southwest setting, atmospheric, character-driven, Indigenous representation, procedural
Open Dark Winds (2022) on Curator TV