Korean horror thrillers are widely acclaimed for blending mystery, lingering dread, and shamanism, and ‘If Wishes Could Kill’ is Korean horror at its best. Through its eerie settings and disturbing twists, this is the kind of horror that pulls you in. It keeps you on edge, but it also keeps you invested.
When the trailer was released, expectations were high. Now that all eight episodes are out, the anticipation feels completely justified. Horror is a genre that not everyone enjoys, but this Korean show could easily become a personal favorite for many viewers. While some elements of the series may feel slightly unpolished or out of place, the overall experience is strong enough to keep you binge-watching. The drama is beautifully shot, the story is compelling, and the execution is even better.
So, here’s an honest review of the show!
Cast: Jeong So Young, Kang Mi Na, Baek Sun Ho, Hyun Woo Seok, Lee Hyo Je and Roh Jae Won
Creators: Park Youn Seo, Park Joong Seop
Number of Episodes: 8
Available on: Netflix
The Plot
The story takes place at Seorin High School, where a group of five friends discover a mysterious app called Girigo. They are first introduced to the app through their friend Hyeong Wook (played by Lee Hyo Je), who confides that his perfect math score was the result of a wish granted by the app. Although the four friends are initially skeptical, two of them eventually decide to try it themselves. As the group becomes distracted by personal issues, including a love triangle, they remain unaware of the deadly chaos rapidly unfolding in Hyeong Wook’s life.
The narrative then takes a dark turn when, one day, Hyeong Wook takes a cutter and slits his throat in broad daylight at school, right in front of his friends. Forced to set logic aside, the four remaining friends must confront an even darker and more disturbing truth: the app that grants wishes also comes with a consequence none of them is prepared to face — death.
‘Girigo’: The App
What truly drives the horror element of the plot is the app itself. Imagine an app that could make any of your wishes come true, but at the cost of your own life. It sounds absurd, and for a brief moment, the group of friends even treats it like a joke. However, the truth and the curse behind it are far more terrifying.
The app is first introduced to viewers through a disturbingly chilling opening scene, where a young girl is seen carving something into a wall before recording a video of herself saying, “I wish every one of you would just drop dead.” She then pulls out a knife and slits her throat.
While avoiding major spoilers, it is important to understand how the app works. Once the app is downloaded, the user must write down their name and ‘saju’ — a traditional Korean system based on an individual’s birth year and month — on a piece of paper before recording a video of themselves making a wish. After pressing ‘send’ and once the wish is fulfilled, a 24-hour countdown begins. When the timer finally reaches 00:00, the user takes their own life.
The Five Students
While the story revolves around a deadly and cursed wish-granting mobile app, there is already an unspoken tension among the five friends. There is little sense of genuine closeness between them, and the lack of trust, jealousy, and insecurity is evident from the very beginning. For instance, Yoo Se Ah (played by Jeon So Young) and Kim Geon Woo (played by Baek Sun Ho) are secretly dating, choosing not to tell their friends and indirectly dragging Lim Na Ri (played by Kang Mi Na) into a love triangle.
While the romantic angle feels somewhat forced, Na Ri remains an interesting character who constantly gives off the impression that she could betray her friends at any moment. You are under 18, people around you are dying because of a supernatural curse, and all you can think about is yourself and the boy you have a crush on? That is peak antagonist energy, and the acting is definitely praiseworthy.
On the other hand, Kang Ha Joon (played by Hyun Woo Seok) mostly keeps to himself and rarely speaks. Yet, his observant and nerdy nature makes it clear that he is far more than just a supporting character. Perhaps the character who evokes the most sadness from viewers is Hyeong Wook. Despite being friendly and honest with his friends, he is let down in a deeply painful way — something you can truly understand only by watching the show.
Shamanism
This traditional spiritual practice involving shamans and rituals is a prominent theme in Korean horror. In the show, this 5,000-year-old faith is portrayed as a means of undoing the supernatural curse. Kang Ha Joon’s elder sister is a powerful shaman who lives in a secluded house in the mountains and uses her abilities to help the group of friends. Alongside her partner, she tries to aid the students by uncovering the truth behind the curse, preventing their souls from becoming trapped in the other world, and finding the ‘maehyung’ — the object that carries the curse and acts as a bridge between the human world and the spirit realm.
Although the show relies heavily on gore and bloody scenes — sometimes to the point where they feel repetitive and lose some of their shock value — the shamanic aspect of the story remains one of its most interesting features. Additionally, the writer does an outstanding job of connecting the origin of the curse to shamanism.
Curious about what I meant by that last line? Want to know who died and who survived? Wondering who the girl in the opening scene really is? Who is the ghost possessing students and driving them to kill themselves? And what exactly is the mystery behind Girigo?
If you want the answers to all these questions, then grab some snacks, turn the lights off, and binge-watch the show today!
Written by Diksha Gangadeen
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