10 Best TV Murder Mysteries Set in the Woods Like ‘Untamed’

Netflix has released a new murder mystery series this summer called Untamed. Eric Bana (The Dry) stars as a National Parks Service agent in investigating a suspicious death in Yosemite National Park. The six-episode miniseries, which also features Sam Neill (Jurassic Park), has received generally positive reviews so far. The setting particularly resonates with audiences, especially during the summer when people are more prone to venture to more remote locations.

Remote settings have always paired well with the murder mystery genre. The isolation, which can at times look so beautiful, becomes eerie and menacing in the face of an unsolved crime. Heavily wooded areas are a particular favorite for these murder mysteries, where it’s impossible to tell who or what is lurking in the distance.

10

‘Jordskott’ (2015 – 2017)

Jordskott is a Swedish thriller created by Henrik Björn (Dröm) starring Moa Gammel (Suddenly), Göran Ragnerstam (A Serious Game), Richard Forsgren (Jana – Marked for Life), and Happy Jankell (Delete Me). The series, which ran for two seasons on SVT, follows police detective Eva Thörnblad (Gammel) as she investigates her own daughter’s disappearance in her hometown.

A Mythological Crime Drama

The town, Silverhöjd, is a community with a lake, forest, and caves — all of which feature heavily in the story. Jordskott received positive reviews upon release for the way it blends mythology and mystery elements, with particular praise from The New York Times and The Guardian. The show earned a Banff Rockie Award at the Banff Television Festival in 2015 for Best Serial. It has 7.1/10 stars on IMDb.

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The series has won over audiences and now boasts a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.

9

‘The Forest’ (2017)

The Forest

Release Date

2018 – 2016

Network

France 3

Directors

Julius Berg

• 

  Samuel Labarthe

  Vincent Musso

• 

  Suzanne Clement

  Gaspard Decker

• 

  Alexia Barlier

  Virginie Musso

• 

  Frederic Diefenthal

  Eve Mendel

• 

The Forest is a six-episode French miniseries that aired on France 3 in the summer of 2017. It was created by Delinda Jacobs, who is also known for making L’absente in 2021. This crime drama follows an investigation into the disappearance of Jennifer Lenoir (Isis Guillaume), a teenage girl who went missing in a Belgian forest. Samuel Labarthe (Notre-Dame on Fire) and Suzanne Clément (Versailles) star as the detectives looking for Jennifer. The cast also includes Alexia Barlier (Chick Fight), Frédéric Diefenthal (Clara Sheller), and Patrick Ridremont (Les Rivières pourpres).

Suspense and Intrigue

Viewers enjoy the writing and acting in The Forest, noting that the suspense builds well over the course of all six episodes. The Forest won Best Television Series at Festival de la Fiction TV in 2017. It currently holds a 95% rating from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.2/10 stars on IMDb.

8

‘Dark’ (2017 – 2020)

Dark

Release Date

2017 – 2020

Network

Netflix

Showrunner

Jantje Friese

• 

  Louis Hofmann

  Jonas Kahnwald

• 

  Lisa Vicari

  Martha Nielsen

• 

Dark is a German sci-fi series made by 1899 creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese. It ran for three seasons on Netflix. The story is set in Winden, Germany, where a child’s disappearance takes its toll on the community. The system of caves in the woods near the nuclear power plant is central to the show’s plot, but not in ways one might expect. The cast features Louis Hofmann (Lilies Not for Me), Karoline Eichhorn (The Silence), Lisa Vicari (Isi & Ossi), Maja Schöne (Buddenbrooks), Jördis Triebel (Babylon Berlin), and Stephan Kampwirth (A Sacrifice).

Critically Acclaimed Sci-Fi

This series blends together crime drama thrills and a sweeping time-travel saga as it explores the interconnected stories of four families who have lived in the area for generations. Dark was an instant hit, with many calling it one of the best shows to come out in 2017. It earned over a dozen nominations at the German Television Academy Awards, winning in three categories. It has 8.7/10 stars on IMDb and a 95% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

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7

‘Sharp Objects’ (2018)

Based on the novel by Gillian Flynn, Sharp Objects is an eight-part southern Gothic miniseries developed for HBO by Marti Noxon (Dietland). Amy Adams (Nightbitch) stars as Camille Preaker, a journalist recently discharged from a psychiatric facility who returns to her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri, to report on the murder of two young girls. The cast includes career-best performances from Patricia Clarkson (Lilly), Eliza Scanlen (Little Women), Sophia Lillis (It), and Chris Messina (Based on a True Story).

A Gothic Summer Mystery

The summer heat seeps through the screen in this series, where the small town and wooded landscape are baked into the fabric of the story itself. Sharp Objects remains critically acclaimed and Adams is unforgettable as Camille Preaker. Sharp Objects was nominated for eight Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes, where Patricia Clarkson won for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. The miniseries has 8/10 stars on IMDb and a 92% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

6

‘Black Spot’ (2017 – 2019)

Black Spot

• 

  Laurent Capelluto

  Franck Siriani

• 

  Renaud Rutten

  Louis Hermann

• 

  Hubert Delattre

  Martial Ferrandis Nounours

• 

  Suliane Brahim

  Laurene Weiss

Black Spot (also known as Zone Blanche) is a French crime thriller with horror elements created by Mathieu Missoffe (Syndrome E). It ran for two seasons on France Two. Suliane Brahim (The Swarm) stars as Major Laurène Weiss, who is head of police in her small hometown of Villefranche. The town is remote, surrounded by dense forests and mountains on all sides. Aided by fellow officer Nounours (Hubert Delattre) and Prosecutor Franck Siriani (Laurent Capelluto), Laurène investigates murders and unexplained phenomena across the isolated area.

Folk Horror in the Woods

Black Spot is a perfect blend of crime drama and folk horror, often lurking in an eerie realm between the two genres. The show was nominated for five awards at the Luchon International Film Festival, winning all of them, including Best Director for Thierry Poiraud and Best Male Newcomer Actor of the Year for Hubert Delattre. The show holds a 90% rating from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

5

‘Pagan Peak’ (2018 – 2023)

Pagan Peak (also known as Der Pass or The Pass) is an Austrian-German crime drama that ran for three seasons on Sky Deutschland. It’s based on the Danish-Swedish series Broen | Bron (The Bridge). Julia Jentsch (What Marielle Knows) and Nicholas Ofczarek (The Team) star as Ellie Stocker and Gedeon Winter, two detectives investigating the discovery of a dead body in the Alps that is complicated by the pagan customs associated with the area.

Bold Narrative Choices

Critics say the series manages to maintain tension despite some big reveals pretty early on in the show. It was nominated for nine German Television Awards, winning for Best Drama Series in 2020, Best Directing in 2022, and Best Cinematography in 2022. Pagan Peak has 8/10 stars on IMDb.

4

‘The Woods’ (2020)

The Woods

Release Date

2020 – 2020-00-00

• 

  Grzegorz Damiecki

  Pawel Kopinski

• 

  Agnieszka Grochowska

  LAura Goldsztajn

• 

  Hubert Milkowski

  Young Pawel

• 

  Wiktoria Filus

  Young Laura

• 

Based on the Harlan Coben novel of the same name, The Woods is a six-part Polish miniseries that debuted on Netflix in June 2020. The mystery unfolds as Warsaw prosecutor Paweł Kopiński (Grzegorz Damięcki) learns about a murder that might be tied to his sister’s disappearance 25 years earlier. Set in both 1994 and 2019, the show follows the events surrounding both cases.

Twists and Turns

Coben’s adaptations have a reputation for being carefully plotted, with twists that feel fully earned. The Woods has strong characters and compelling performances. The show was generally well received upon release, doing better with critics than audiences. It has a 60% rating from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes but an 89% rating from critics.

3

‘Twin Peaks’ (1990 – 1991)

Twin Peaks

5
/5

Release Date

1990 – 1990

Network

Showtime, ABC

Showrunner

Mark Frost

Twin Peaks was a surreal murder mystery series created by Mark Frost (Hill Street Blues) and David Lynch (Mulholland Drive) in the early 1990s. Kyle MacLachlan (Fallout) stars as FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, who comes to the small town of Twin Peaks, Washington, to investigate the murder of local teenager Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). The show remains well-known for leaning into the uncanny and using the remote setting to heighten the mysterious ambiance.

A Cult Classic

Twin Peaks was canceled by ABC after two seasons, but the show’s following continued to grow through the 1990s and into the 2000s. Lynch has always been renowned for having a unique way of storytelling and the unanswered questions at the end of Twin Peaks have haunted viewers for years. Lynch made a prequel film entitled Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me in 1992. In 2017, Showtime revived the drama as a limited series to give the story a proper and completed sendoff after Season 2’s cliffhanger ending.

2

‘Wilderness’ (2023)

Wilderness

Release Date

2023 – 2022

Showrunner

Marnie Dickens

Directors

So Young Kim

• 

Wilderness is a British six-part Amazon Prime miniseries based on the novel by B. E. Jones. It was developed for the screen by Marnie Dickens (Thirteen). Jenna Coleman (Victoria) stars as the newlywed Liv Taylor, who discovers her husband, Will (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), has had an affair. Instead of confronting him about the betrayal, Liv decides that the two should take a road trip across America — visiting all kinds of remote locations on the way where an “accident” could easily happen.

Worst Road Trip Ever

While most of the shows on this list are about finding a murderer, Wilderness focuses more on whether the murder will be committed at all. This psychological thriller takes the couple to Yosemite National Park, where their marriage and Liv’s ability to restrain herself are put to the test. Wilderness won a BAFTA Award in 2024 for Titles & Graphic Identity as well as Best Sync in Film + TV Titles at the International Music + Sound Awards. It holds a 66% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

1

‘The Åre Murders’ (2025)

The Åre Murders

Release Date

February 6, 2025

Network

Netflix

Directors

Alain Darborg

• 

  Carla Sehn

  Hanna Ahlander

• 

  Kardo Razzazi

  Daniel Lindskog

• 

  Charlie Gustafsson

  Anton Lundin

• 

  Amalia Holm Bjelke

  Uncredited

• 

Based on novels by Viveca Sten, The Åre Murders is a Swedish Nordic noir series on Netflix. Stockholm detective Hanna Ahlander (Carla Sehn) has traveled to a remote ski resort in Åre to wait out an internal investigation, but is pushed back into work when a young girl goes missing. The cast includes Kardo Razzazi (Peacemaker), Charlie Gustafsson (The Restaurant), Francisco Sobrado (The Imaginary State), Pia Johansson (Välkommen åter), and Maxida Märak (Midnight Sun).

An Exciting New Noir

While The Åre Murders hasn’t been out long, reviews have been positive. The setting is gorgeous, and the characters are well-paired with very different personalities that lead to compelling conflict. The show currently has an 86% rating from critics and a 75% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.