If you like your mysteries dark, your characters complicated, and your brain a little scrambled by the end of a drama, Nine Puzzles might be exactly what you’re looking for.
At first glance, it might feel like any other crime thriller on the clock. A profiler with a past she can’t outrun, a detective who suspects her of being a murderer, a string of murders, puzzle pieces connected to each murder, and a killer who always seems to be just out of reach. But it doesn’t take long for the show to shift gears. This isn’t about big action or flashy plot twists. It’s about what happens when trauma doesn’t fade, and how people cope when the past starts bleeding into the present.
We meet Yoon Ena, a criminal profiler who has spent years building walls, keeping her emotions in check and dealing with missing memories of a critical moment from her youth. Kim Da-mi plays her with a sharpness that brings the character alive on screen. Ena isn’t here to win sympathy. She’s here to finish something that started long ago, even if it means tearing herself apart in the process. She’s teamed up with Detective Kim Han-saem, played by Son Suk-ku, is that loose cannon of the department that we have come to expect in a lot of thrillers. He loses his patience and causes trouble a lot. But he can also be quiet, grounded, and incredibly observant. He doesn’t need to say much.
Their dynamic avoids clichés. There’s no forced romance or unnecessary tension. Just two people, both deeply human and haunted, trying to figure out the same puzzle from opposite angles. Watching them work together is part of the show’s quiet brilliance. It’s not dramatic. It’s honest.
The series narrative plays with time and memory. Some scenes drift into flashback, giving us glimpses of the back stories of certain characters. There are moments when you’re not sure if what you’re watching is fact or filtered memory. And that uncertainty feels intentional. The viewer isn’t just an observer here. You will be transported into the world of the story, trying to make sense of it along with the characters.
Each episode adds a new layer. A detail, a face, a little bit of the past that no one wants to brought back up. The murders are disturbing, but the focus is rarely on the violence. Instead, it’s on the motive. The why. . This is where Nine Puzzles shines. It gives space to stories that are usually sidelined. It lets women be the complex humans that they are. They can be victims, survivors, investigators, and sometimes something else entirely.
The writing is lean and effective. There is no fluff, and no fillers. It trusts that the audience can connect the dots. Some will, some won’t. Either way, it’s satisfying without being obvious. The big reveal doesn’t come with any overly dramatic twist. It lands quietly, but it hits hard. And once it does, everything that came before starts to make a different kind of sense and make you take a pause.
Both Kim Da-mi and Son Suk-ku carry this show with performances that are restrained but deeply felt. Every moment of slight hesitation and every pause felt intentional. Their characters do not need grand monologues. And the supporting cast adds depth without pulling focus. No one is there just to check a box. Everyone has a role to play in the larger picture.
Visually, the show is understated. No glossy filters or overdone effects. The camera lingers. It lets the tension build slowly. The colour palette leans muted, lending to the sombre setting of the series. This style might feel too slow for some viewers, especially those who prefer more pace or action. But for those who enjoy psychological storytelling, the series creates exactly the right atmosphere.
In the end, Nine Puzzles is less about solving a crime and more about unpacking the pain behind it. It’s about memory, power, and what it takes to finally stop running from the past. There’s a raw honesty in how it portrays trauma. It does not use trauma as a dramatic plot device, but as something personal and enduring.
Nine Puzzles is certainly not a comfort watch. But if you’re in the mood for a cerebral mystery with depth, heart, and a lingering impact, this one absolutely delivers.
