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Disney+ has scored a breakout hit with Korean mystery thriller Nine Puzzles, which has become the platform’s most-watched title across the Asia-Pacific region since its May launch and the top Korean original globally in 2025. The series continues to gain ground in Western markets, the company says.

A psychological crime thriller laced with whimsy and grit, Nine Puzzles follows Yoon E-na (Kim Da-mi), a brilliant but socially awkward criminal profiler who was once the traumatized teenage witness of a notorious unsolved murder. A decade later, she joins the Seoul Metropolitan Police’s violent crimes unit — where she’s unexpectedly paired with Kim Han-saem (Son Suk-ku), the very detective who once suspected her of committing the crime. When a new series of killings begins, each accompanied by a cryptic hand-drawn puzzle piece, the two must navigate their fraught personal history to unmask a killer whose motivations seem to trace back to the original case.

Disney+ has unveiled its latest Korean original: Gold Land, a gritty crime thriller created by Oldboy screenwriter Hwang Joyoon and directed by Chief Detective 1958 helmer Kim Sunghoon.

Set in rural Korea and suffused with tension, Gold Land follows Kim Heeju (played by Light Shop star Park Boyoung), a young woman who stumbles into possession of gold bars belonging to a smuggling syndicate. On the run from a violent criminal network and forced to return to a hometown she had hoped to forget, Heeju’s story quickly turns into a harrowing chase for survival.

Kim Sung Cheol (No Way Out: The Roulette, Troll Factory) co-stars as Jang Wook (aka “Woogy”), a menacing yet familiar figure from Heeju’s past who now hunts her on behalf of the syndicate.

Disney says the series promises a potent mix of suspense, action, and emotional depth — hallmarks of Hwang’s previous work in films such...

Puzzle Phenomenon

Disney+ has revealed that Korean crime thriller “Nine Puzzles” has become the platform’s most-viewed Korean title globally in 2025, just nine days after its May 21 debut.

The series stars Kim Dami (“Itaewon Class”) as Yoon Ena, a high school student who discovers her murdered uncle’s body alongside a mysterious puzzle piece, only to become the prime suspect. A decade later, now a criminal profiler, she’s pulled into a new series of murders connected by similar puzzle pieces. Son Sukku (“Big Bet”) co-stars as Detective Kim Hansaem, with Kim Sungkyun (“Moving”) and Hyun Bongsik rounding out the cast. The series is directed by Yoon Jongbin (“Narco Saints”) and written by Lee Eunmi (“Tunnel”).

“Nine Puzzles” joins Disney+’s expanding Korean slate alongside “Unmasked” and “Hyper Knife,” with upcoming titles including treasure-hunting series “Low Life” starring Ryu Seungryong and international conspiracy thriller “Tempest” featuring Gang Dongwon and John Cho.

Nine Puzzles is a 2025 South Korean thriller series that delves into crime and mystery. The narrative follows profiler Yoon Ena, who was the sole witness in her uncle’s unsolved murder a decade ago. As a new series of murders emerges, each marked by a puzzle piece, Ena collaborates with Detective Kim Hansaem, who still harbors suspicions about her past involvement. This series offers a layered exploration of unresolved crimes and the complexities of human psychology.

About the Show:

Directed by Yoon Jong-bin and written by Lee Eun-mi, Nine Puzzles is a crime thriller that intertwines past and present mysteries. The story centers on Yoon Ena, who becomes a profiler to uncover the truth behind her uncle’s murder. Detective Kim Hansaem, who once suspected her, is drawn back into the case as similar murders occur, each linked by enigmatic puzzle pieces. The series examines themes of memory, suspicion, and the pursuit of truth.

Disney+ is continuing its strong push into Korean content with “Nine Puzzles,” a cerebral crime thriller starring Kim Dami (“Itaewon Class”) and Son Sukku (“Big Bet”).

The 11-episode series follows Yoon Ena, a high school student who discovers her uncle’s murdered body next to a single puzzle piece. Initially the prime suspect, Ena reemerges a decade later as a criminal profiler only to find herself entangled in a new series of murders — each victim connected by puzzle pieces similar to the one from her uncle’s crime scene.

The series brings together notable Korean talent beyond its leads, with Kim Sungkyun as Police Captain Yang Jungho and Hyun Bongsik as Junior Detective Choi San. Behind the camera, “Narco Saints” director Yoon Jongbin helms the project from a script by Lee Eunmi.

The first six episodes will drop May 21 on Disney+ internationally, with U.S. viewers accessing the content through Hulu.

Channel 4 Explores Trump’s First 100 Days

UK network Channel has ordered a quick turnaround doc from genre specialist ITN Productions (Itnp) about the early days of Donald Trump’s second presidency. Trump Revolution: 100 Days That Changed the World will see Channel 4 news anchor Matt Frei considering whether Trump’s actions over tariffs, Ukraine, the Middle East, Russia, the economy, gender and diversity, and sacking of government workers since January 20 are part of a thought-out strategy to create chaos in the world’s markets and if billionaire supporters and voters still have faith in him. Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and ex-United States Deputy Assistant Trade Representative K.T. McFarlane are among the experts contributing. Exec producer on the doc is Jeremy Daldry, Deputy Head of UK Factual at Itnp. Tom Reeves is the producer-director and Nickie Hyde the production manager. Nevine Mabro,...

What follows is an exchange between Josh Timmermann (a fellow critic and Vancouver resident, who you may recall from this) and I, wherein we discuss the Vancouver International Film Festival and its individual parts, a chance to color outside the lines a bit and discuss the ins and outs of our festival experiences.

Context!

Above: Granville 7 Theatre, Viff's primary venue.

Adam Cook: I’ve been attending Viff since 2008—and you’ve been attending since 2007—so it seems kind of safe to say we’re well on our way to being veterans of the festival; although, this claim is humbled when encountering someone like Chuck Stephens—a member of this year’s Dragons & Tigers jury—who has been coming (from out of town, no less) for something like twenty years. However, five years of Viff-going has equipped me with a knack for knowing how to approach the festival, how to navigate the programming—and,...

The Best of Korean Cinema is a running series of articles that comes out every two weeks, in which I take a look at the best 21st century Korea has to offer, cinematically speaking, whether that means big names like Park Chan Wook and Kim Jee Woon or unknown curios that deserve the coverage. Each article will cover two thematically similar films; this time it’s two gangsters films: 2012’s Nameless Gangster, directed by Yun Jong-Bin, and Ha-Yu’s A Dirty Carnival, from 2006.

Nameless Gangster

Directed by Jong-bin Yun

Written by Jong-bin Yun

2012, South Korea

Choi Ik-Hyun (Choi Min-Sik) is a Customs Officer operating in Busan docks, preventing anything untoward, that’s the idea anyway as his department is corrupt. One day there is a shake-up, making all of the internal corruption a death sentence hanging around their necks and because Ik-Hyun has the smallest family it is going to...

The 45th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia will be held from October 4-14, 2012. We already know that The Body, by debut director Oriol Paulo, is opening the fest, and now word has come as to several of the other films that will be shown. Some may not be pure horror, but we're including everything here so you'll be 100% in the know.

From the Press Release:

Catalan cinema will be one of the stars in the Festival’s Official Selection, with two films that will be going in for the María Award for Best Motion Picture, the Festival’s main prize, based on the popular robotic character from Fritz Lang’s classic Metropolis. The first is Painless, Juan Carlos Medina’s first feature film, a passionate fantastic fable that takes root in the Spanish Civil war and stars Alex Brendemühl. The second film is El Bosc, based on a...