What do fantasy author George R.R. Martin and the late, great Robert Redford have in common? They’re both executive producers of the underrated Western noir thriller Dark Winds. The series was Redford’s final project in front of and behind the camera, as he appeared in the Season 3 premiere as a chess player mere months before his death.
With an average 100% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, Dark Windshas been a critical darling since its debut on June 12, 2022. And now the review aggregator has included the series in a new ranking of the “100 Best Netflix Series To Watch Right Now (November 2026).” Dark Winds is sitting pretty at No. 4 on said list, with a cool 75% on the Popcornmeter to accompany that perfect Tomatometer score. The first three seasons of the Western barreled onto Netflix on Oct. 27, 2025, while Season 4 landed on July 4, 2026.
About ‘Dark Winds’
For the uninitiated, here’s the official synopsis for Dark Winds:
“Set in 1971 on a remote outpost of the Navajo Nation near Monument Valley, Dark Winds follows Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Tribal Police as he is besieged by a series of seemingly unrelated crimes. The closer he digs to the truth, the more he exposes the wounds of his past. He is joined on this journey by his new deputy, Jim Chee. Chee, too, has old scores to settle from his youth on the reservation. Together, the two men battle the forces of evil, each other, and their own personal demons on the path to salvation.”
The series stars Zahn McClarnon as Joe Leaphorn, Kiowa Gordon as Jim Chee, Jessica Matten as Bernadette Manuelito,Deanna Allison as Emma Leaphorn, Elva Guerra as Sally Growing Thunder, and Natalie Benally as Natalie Bluehouse. Franka Potente boarded the fourth season as Irene Vaggan.
Newcomers for the highly anticipated fifth season includePaola Núñez as Luisa Alvarado, Martin Sensmeier as Terry Bai, John Hoogenakker as Mark Bishop, and John Patrick Jordan as Dale Hicks.
Graham Roland created the series, adapting Tony Hillerman‘s Leaphorn & Cheebooks. Dark Windswas Redford’s third adaptation of Hillerman’s material, with the first and second being The Dark Wind(1991) and Skinwalkers(2002), respectively.
Dark WindsSeasons 1-4 are now streaming on Netflix, AMC+, and Sling TV. Season 5 is expected to premiere sometime on AMC in 2027.
This story was originally published byMen’s Journalon Nov 9, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Men’s Journal as aPreferred
