While American Murder: Laci Peterson occupies the number one spot on Netflix’s top ten shows list for the second week in a row, there is a new psychological thriller that has just been added to the streaming platform, and it’s already reached the number three spot on the ranking.
Produced by Robert Redford (Prime Video’s Jack Ryan) and George R.R. Martin, who brought us stories like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, Dark Winds (based on the “Leaphorn & Chee” book series by Tony Hillerman) follows Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and his Navajo Tribe Police as they investigate a string of crimes in the community.
Before finding a new home on Netflix, the series first debuted on AMC on June 12, 2022. And apparently, Netflix users are not the only ones enjoying the show. Dark Winds was a hit amongst critics, receiving a perfect 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.7 out of 10 rating on IMDb.
What makes this neo-Western drama so different from every other crime thriller is that it features a predominantly Indigenous cast. The cast features a bunch of new faces, including Jessica Matten (Bernadette Manuelito), Zahn McClarnon (Joe Leaphorn), Kiowa Gordon (Jim Chee) and Deanna Taushi Allison (Emma Leaphorn). However, there are also a few famous guest stars who make a brief cameo in the show, such as The Office alum Rainn Wilson, who plays the “Devoted Dan.”
Michael Moriatis/AMC
Back in June 2022, Dark Winds director Chris Eyre sat down with Digital Trends and shared what it was like working with Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin. “George [R.R. Martin] and Bob are both legends, and they just want to see good stories being told. They want to support the Native American community and the vision that we had. Again, the irony is that I sat there with George and Bob one day once we weren’t able to make this at another streamer, and we didn’t have a home with George and Bob attached.”
He continued, “As we were sitting there debating what to do, I think it was George who said, ‘This is a tough industry,’ shaking his head. That’s the guy who created Game of Thrones [laughter]. You think that’s a slam dunk. And Bob looked back at him and said, ‘You’re damn right it’s a tough industry.’ And I could hear the decades of knowledge in that sentence. ‘You’re damn right.’”
The first two seasons of Dark Winds are streaming right now on Netflix. Happy binge-watching!
