Analysis of If Wishes Could Kill: When a Wish Becomes a Sentence

I really enjoy movies that make me feel tense, but I hate jump scares or excessive gore. I believe that is why I vastly prefer Asian horror over Hollywood's approach. So, when I saw this series available on Netflix, I read the synopsis and clicked play.

I devoured it in two days.

If Wishes Could Kill is not groundbreaking or extremely creative, but it possesses the elements I appreciate in this genre when produced by Japanese, Thai, or Korean creators.

The production begins with a classic K-drama style: bright dawns, teenage students, a central couple, and minor frictions between the diverse personalities within a group of five friends.

The lead role is held by Jeon So-young as the athletic Se-ah, who was raised by her aunt after losing her parents in a car accident. The loss of her parents is a trauma she carries along with a sense of guilt, something she will eventually have to overcome.

In the group of friends, we have Geon-woo (Baek Sun-ho), Se-ah's neighbor and boyfriend; Im Na-ri (Kang Mi-na), the vain friend who harbors a crush on Geon-woo; Hyeong-wook (Lee Hyo-je), an otaku facing pressure for good grades at school; and Ha-Joon (Hyun Woo-Seok), the electronics nerd who has a crush on Se-ah.

Synopsis

At a certain point in the first episode, Hyeong-wook introduces the Girigo app to the group, revealing that he used it to make a wish for a good math grade. The friends, who do not believe in the app's power, download it anyway but do not use it immediately. Meanwhile, Hyeong-wook notices a timer has started counting down on his phone screen.

And that is how Girigo works: a person makes a wish and, once it comes true, a countdown timer gives the user twenty four hours before they face death. In other words, it is a cursed app.

The story follows a tragedy where Se-ah makes the connection between the app and a death. From then on, she must race against time to save her own life and the lives of her friends.

Although the theme of a curse is a staple in Asian horror, the repetition here is not bothersome because it is handled consistently.

Director Park Youn-seo does not overdo it and does not rely on repetitive cheap jump scares, but the show does feature strong and bloody scenes, so consider this a warning.

Critical Reception

International critics highlighted that the series does not try to reinvent the genre but instead focuses on character relationships and the emotional impact of fulfilled wishes.

However, reception was mixed. While there was recognition of the interesting concept, some pointed out that the narrative loses steam throughout the episodes, becoming repetitive and less impactful.

Among the audience, interest was higher, mainly due to the concept and atmosphere, though without massive enthusiasm. Overall, the feeling was that the series is good but could have been much better.

One of the factors that makes any work more interesting is well constructed and developed characters. In If Wishes Could Kill, there is an evident effort to give depth to each of them.

The lead couple has their moments, although the chemistry is not entirely complete. Still, this does not compromise the series.

Regarding the supporting cast, the standout performers are the shaman Ha-Sal (Jeon So-nee) and her husband Gang Ui (Roh Jae-won). He serves as comic relief while also becoming a strong protector and assistant to the youth in their quest to end the curse.

Im Na-ri, by contrast, is the antagonist you will hate but cannot ignore. She is irritating, proud, and at times unscrupulous. Precisely because of this, it is very satisfying to see the clash between her and Se-ah at the end of the series.

I must also highlight the duo played by actresses Hyeon Seo-Ri and Kim Si-Ah, as they are the origin of the entire curse, with a friendship that goes from complicity to cruel disloyalty. It is perfectly possible to understand the anger of Do Hye Ryeong (Kim Si-Ah), while this relationship and its rupture are reflected between Se-ah and Im Na-ri. The parallel is explicit, yet it does not become repetitive because the motives for each character's actions and reactions are distinct.

It is this relationship between the characters, as well as their development, that makes us care enough to engage with the story and fear for their fates. The true horror lies in not knowing if they will survive the app.

It is very much worth it if you enjoy the genre and go in knowing you won't find anything groundbreaking. Instead, you will find a tense, well structured story with a constant feeling that someone might die.

There are only eight episodes, which makes it easy to binge watch and prevents the series from creating filler with useless issues or dragged out chapters.

It is worth mentioning the marketing for the series, which apparently made the Girigo app available for iPhones. I don't know about you, but I will be staying far away from it.

Rating: 3.9 out of 5.

And you, what wish would you make if you had Girigo in your hands? Would you accept the price?