Nine Puzzles delivers gripping psychological thriller

The Sun

2 days ago

DISNEY+ continues to cement its place as a hub for quality K-dramas with Nine Puzzles, a gripping
psychological crime series directed by Yoon Jong-bin and penned by Lee Eun-mi. This 11-episode thriller packages emotional trauma, criminal profiling and unresolved mysteries into a layered narrative that keeps viewers guessing.
At the centre of the story is Yoon E-na, played with haunting intensity by Kim Da-mi. As a teenager, E-na stumbled upon the lifeless body of her beloved uncle with a single puzzle piece ominously left at the crime scene. Although the case never led to charges, E-na became the prime suspect in the eyes of detective Kim Han-saem (Son Suk-ku). The stigma stuck and the case went cold but the emotional scars remained.
Years later, E-na has transformed into a profiler for the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, working to understand the minds of criminals while struggling with her own unresolved trauma. When a new murder emerges with disturbingly similar characteristics to her uncle's case, E-na is forced to reopen old wounds. She is also made to partner with Han-saem, the very man who once believed she was a killer.
Their dynamic is at the core of the drama. Da-mi portrays E-na with restrained fury and calculated calm, while Son delivers a subtle performance as a detective grappling with guilt, doubt and professional duty. Their uneasy alliance is less about redemption and more about recognition of each other's pain and shared obsession with the truth.
Visually, Nine Puzzles leans into darkness. Jong-bin's direction favours long silences, dim lighting
and slow reveals, crafting an atmosphere that is as unsettling as it is intriguing. Composer Jo Yeong-wook, known for his work on Oldboy and The Handmaiden, heightens the mood with a
chilling score that creeps in at the right moments.
The pacing is slow in the first few episodes, but purposefully so. Each scene, line of dialogue and expression is loaded with significance. What might feel like a lull is actually the show laying down the emotional groundwork for the twists and turns that follow. Viewers who stick with it will find themselves rewarded with a thriller that values psychological realism over flashy dramatics.
Supporting performances from Kim Sung-kyun and Hyeon Bong-sik add balance and weight to the cast, helping ground the series in procedural reality while E-na and Han-saem pursue a more personal kind of justice.
With just enough questions answered and more still unresolved, the first half sets the stage for an intense escalation.
Nine Puzzles is now streaming on Disney+. The final two episodes will air this Wednesday.
E-VALUE: 7
PLOT: 7
ACTING: 8