12 Movies Like Dark Winds You Need to Watch
Craving the same tense, haunting vibe? Explore 12 smart picks across crime, mystery, thriller, drama, and sci-fi, from Wind River to Shining Girls.
If you want movies like Dark Winds, this list leans into the same uneasy blend of crime, mystery, and slow-burn suspense that made the show so gripping. You’ll find grounded tension in Wind River and The Red Road, eerie genre twists in Outer Range and Gannibal, and sharper detective energy in Shadow Detective. Shining Girls adds a time-bending thriller edge, while Graveyard brings a darker procedural mood that keeps the stakes high. We’ve also included a wider mix of drama, sci-fi, and regional crime stories so you can follow the tone you loved into new directions without losing the atmosphere.
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01
Shining Girls
crime · drama · mystery · sci-fi · thriller
Years after a brutal attack left her in a constantly shifting reality, Kirby Mazrachi learns that a recent murder is linked to her assault. She teams with veteran reporter Dan Velazquez to understand her ever-changing present—and confront her past.
Directed by Daina Reid, Michelle MacLaren, Elisabeth MossCast Elisabeth Moss, Wagner Moura, Phillipa Soo, Chris Chalk, Amy BrennemanApple TV PlusMore details on IMDb → -
02
Gannibal
drama · horror · sci-fi · thriller
After causing a major incident, police officer Daigo Agawa takes his wife and daughter to live in the remote mountain village of Kuge. It seems the perfect place to recover from the ordeal, despite the mysterious disappearance of a previous officer posted there. One day, the body of an old woman is found on the mountain. The Goto family says she was attacked by a bear, but Daigo notices a human bite mark. It soon becomes clear that not all is as it seems in the village.
Directed by Shinzô Katayama, Hayato KawaiCast Yûya Yagira, Riho Yoshioka, Shô Kasamatsu, Mitsuo Yoshihara, Kana KitaHuluMore details on IMDb → -
03
Outer Range
drama · mystery · thriller
A rancher fighting for his land and family stumbles upon an unfathomable mystery at the edge of Wyoming’s wilderness, forcing a confrontation with the Unknown in ways both intimate and cosmic in the untamable American West.
Directed by Jennifer Getzinger, Alonso Ruizpalacios, Amy Seimetz, Lawrence Trilling, Gwyneth Horder-PaytonCast Josh Brolin, Tamara Podemski, Imogen Poots, Lili Taylor, Tom PelphreyAmazon Prime VideoFreeveeMore details on IMDb → -
04
Shadow Detective
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
A veteran detective who is about to retire unfolds a breathtaking psychological warfare with a mysterious man who follows his path while hiding his identity.
Directed by Han Dong-hwaCast Lee Sung-min, Gyeong Su Jin, Lee Hak-joo, Ren Hanami, Steven LimHuluMore details on IMDb → -
05
Wind River
crime · drama · mystery · thriller · western
An FBI agent teams with the town's veteran game tracker to investigate a murder that occurred on a Native American reservation.
Directed by Taylor SheridanCast Kelsey Asbille, Jeremy Renner, Julia Jones, Teo Briones, ApesanahkwatNetflixMore details on IMDb → -
06
Graveyard
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
Police Commissioner Önem leads a special investigations unit that solves tough cases involving violence against women.
Directed by Abdullah Oguz, Ömer BaykulCast Birce Akalay, Olgun Toker, Şehsuvar Aktaş, Hakan Meriçliler, Sezgin UzunbekiroğluNetflixMore details on IMDb → -
07
The Red Road
crime · drama · thriller
Lines will be crossed when tragedy forces two men, a mesmerizing ex-con and an embattled local cop, to face the secrets of their past. As these two men find themselves increasingly compromised by one another, the lives of both quickly unravel.
Directed by Randall Einhorn, Lodge Kerrigan, J. Michael Muro, Jeremy Webb, James GrayCast Martin Henderson, Jason Momoa, Julianne Nicholson, Tamara Tunie, Kiowa GordonAMC+More details on IMDb → -
08
The Clearing
drama · mystery · thriller
A woman is forced to confront the nightmares of her past in order to stop a secret cult intent on gathering children to fulfil its master plan.
Directed by Gracie Otto, Jeffrey WalkerCast Teresa Palmer, Miranda Otto, Guy Pearce, Erroll Shand, Anna Lise PhillipsHuluMore details on IMDb → -
09
The Watcher
1 Emmy nomination
drama · horror · mystery · thriller
A family moves into their suburban dream home, only to discover they've inherited a nightmare.
Directed by Paris Barclay, Jennifer Lynch, Ryan Murphy, Max WinklerCast Naomi Watts, Bobby Cannavale, Mia Farrow, Henry Hunter Hall, Terry KinneyNetflixMore details on IMDb → -
10
Longlegs
crime · horror · mystery · thriller
FBI Agent Lee Harker is a gifted new recruit assigned to the unsolved case of an elusive serial killer. As the case takes complex turns, unearthing evidence of the occult, Harker discovers a personal connection to the merciless killer and must race against time to stop him before he claims the lives of another innocent family.
Directed by Osgood PerkinsCast Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, Michelle Choi-LeeHuluMore details on IMDb → -
11
Under the Banner of Heaven
1 Emmy nomination Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (2022)
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
A devout detective's faith is tested as he investigates a brutal murder that seems to be connected to an esteemed Utah family's spiral into LDS fundamentalism and their distrust in the government.
Directed by Courtney Hunt, David Mackenzie, Dustin Lance Black, Isabel Sandoval, Thomas SchlammeCast Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Denise Gough, Wyatt RussellHuluMore details on IMDb → -
12
The Empty Man
drama · horror · mystery · thriller
On the trail of a missing girl, an ex-cop comes across a secretive group attempting to summon a terrifying supernatural entity.
Directed by David PriorCast James Badge Dale, Marin Ireland, Sasha Frolova, Samantha Logan, Evan JonigkeitHuluMore details on IMDb →
Wrapping Up
These picks work because they capture different sides of the same appeal: isolated settings, dangerous secrets, and investigators who keep digging when they should probably stop. Whether you want something closer to a crime drama, a mystery with supernatural pressure, or a thriller with a colder edge, this page gives you plenty to try next. Bookmark it and come back whenever you finish a series or want a fresh lead. We update this page regularly, so the recommendations stay useful as new titles arrive and old favorites keep finding new viewers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes these movies similar to Dark Winds?
These picks were matched by tone, themes, and story style using a similarity model trained on plot synopses, genres, and cast — not just shared genre tags — so the connection runs deeper than a simple category match.