The murder mystery pays off in six episodes.

The fourth series of Dark Winds is currently airing (Image: AMC)

A crime drama set in the American West has captivated viewers. Dark Winds, now on Netflix, transports viewers to Navajo County in the 1970s in an immersive story that’s a murder mystery, thriller, and Western noir all in one.

Starting with a summer blockbuster-worthy heist scene, a series of seemingly unrelated crimes has besieged a remote corner of Navajo County in Arizona. The show follows three Tribal police officers’ search for the truth in a slow-burn mystery that reopens old wounds for its protagonist, Sheriff Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon).

Since its debut in 2022, viewers and critics have been enthralled with the show. Each of its four series holds a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes approval rating.

Dark Winds begins with a bang in the form of a brazen daylight robbery. Armed men descend from a helicopter and intercede an armoured vehicle, killing two guards. A police officer helps the men loot the car before blowing it up and fleeing the scene.

As they escape, an old man watches the helicopter fly over Navajo land. Weeks later, he is found dead and mutilated in a motel room.

The crime is a double murder — a teenager is also found dead, but her body is unmarked, having been seemingly scared to death. The only witness to the crime is her blind grandmother.

At the same time, Leaphorn is assigned a young new deputy, Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), whose new posting brings him back to the reservation he has long avoided. Rounding out the lead trio is Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten), Leaphorn’s right hand and the only female sergeant on the reservation.

“This brooding Navajo murder mystery begs to be binged,” said The Guardian, adding: “Refreshingly, Dark Winds does not obscure some of its characters’ motivations for too long.”

Each series of Dark Winds has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating (Image: AMC)

“Murder mysteries with compelling hooks too often fall apart as the investigations get underway and the stories drift into character digressions, but Dark Winds works in the opposite,” wrote Pajiba’s critic.

“The mystery loses none of its intrigues even as it becomes clear who is behind the murders, but it’s the character digressions that keep us riveted from one episode to the next.”

One viewer said: “As good as everyone says it is… There are not many shows built around Native Americans so I’m glad this one didn’t flame out and disappoint.”

“Well written, well acted, well paced,” wrote another. “Two episodes in and I’m hooked. So far there are three plots to follow – the murders of two reservation residents, a high-profile armored car robbery using a helicopter, and a possible conspiracy to blow up a mining operation. And then there’s spooky stuff… It sounds like a lot going on, but because the writing is so good, it’s very easy to follow the various intersecting plot lines.”
Dark Winds takes viewers to the American southwest in the 1970s (Image: AMC)

Viewers watching the credits will recognise two famous names attached to the project: executive producers Robert Redford and Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin.

The hit show is an adaptation of Leaphorn and Chee book series. The novels, for which he bought the film rights, were Redford’s passion project — Dark Winds marked the third adaptation he oversaw.

Notably, the legendary actor’s cameo on the show was his last on-screen appearance before his death in September 2025.

The first three series of Dark Winds are available on Netflix. Its fourth series is currently airing in America.