‘Nine Puzzles’ follows duo chasing clues in puzzle-driven murder case

Disney+’s new Korean original series “Nine Puzzles” follows a profiler and a homicide detective who team up to solve a string of murders — with literal “puzzle pieces” left at each crime scene.

The story begins with the murder of a police officer. His niece Ena (Kim Da-mi), the sole witness, loses her memory from the traumatic event and becomes the prime suspect to Detective Han-saem (Son Suk-ku) of the violent crimes unit.

Ten years later, Ena receives a puzzle piece that matches the one found at her uncle’s murder scene. Soon after, new killings occur — and Ena is once again the only witness. Despite lingering suspicions, she and Han-saem join forces to unravel the truth.

Directed by Yoon Jong-bin, known for “Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time (2012),” “The Spy Gone North” (2018) and “Narco-Saints” (2022) — “Nine Puzzles” marks his first foray into a stylized mystery thriller.

“When I first read the script, I found it quite absorbing,” Yoon said at a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday. “But the very first question I asked myself was, ‘Could this really happen in reality?’

“I thought it was necessary to slightly elevate the tone of the series to a world that exists on the boundary between reality and fantasy, a more cartoonish world. So, I felt it was important to appeal from the beginning that this is a world slightly removed from reality in various aspects like art direction and costumes.”

On choosing the project that is a lot different from his previous works, Yoon said, “As a director, I always want to try things I haven’t done before, something new, and I chose it from that perspective.”

Actor Kim Da-mi said the script’s mystery kept her reading in one sitting.

“The role of Ena felt fresh. I wanted to portray the childlike aspect of her, as if she’s stuck in that time,” she said. “She might seem selfish, but I wanted to show her as a vulnerable character with pain hidden inside.”

Actor Son Suk-ku cited his admiration for Yoon as the main reason for joining.

“I’ve been a huge fan of director Yoon for a long time, so it was a tremendous honor when he offered me the role,” he said.

He described Han-saem as “someone who hasn’t been promoted in 10 years, as he remains determined to solve the one unresolved case of his career.”

Kim Sung-kyun and Hyun Bong-sik also star as Han-saem’s colleagues.

Yoon shared a lighthearted behind-the-scenes story: “I usually try to build chemistry with actors over meals, but this time it was tough. Son Suk-ku and Hyun Bong-sik don’t drink, and Kim Da-mi is very introverted.”

He added with a laugh, “So, we mostly communicated through KakaoTalk.”

The 11-part series is set to premiere next Wednesday with the release of the first six episodes. The remaining episodes will follow in two batches.