wishing for something and having it go wonky. That isn’t anything new in storytelling. There’s even the movie Obsession that’s coming out soon that uses that same framework. But before it arrives, you can check out the South Korean Netflix supernatural horror series, If Wishes Could Kill. Yeah, the title pretty much tells you what the overarching premise is, but can this limited series stand out from all the others using a similar idea?
A group of high schoolers suddenly find themselves faded to die, cursed by a mysterious wish-ranting app. So much like the dude on the internet who people ask to edit their photos and then he does what they ask, but in a completely unexpected way, this limited series creates a cautionary tale about the power of a wish and then the motivation that’s used to ask for it. This is eight episodes that are anywhere from 35 to 55ish minutes long. So, it can swallow a chunk of your time if you get sucked in. And I think you just might.
Within the first 5 minutes of the story, we watch a horrifying display of self-inflicted violence. And what makes it so squirmy to watch is how unflinching the camera is on the actions. When that unblinking viewpoint is then combined with the difficulty of carrying out the act and then the determination that we see to get it through, [laughter] what we get is an extremely attentiongrabbing introduction. And what we learn is that there’s this app going around that students are using that doesn’t really come with any sort of instruction. It’s just kind of word of mouth how-tos.
You write down your name and birthday on a piece of paper, open the app, and then record your wish. Then sometime very soon after your wish is granted. But just like when conjuring a gen, there’s always an associated cost with that wish. Now here, the app begins a 24-hour countdown following the completion of the wish, and that’s when the bad stuff really begins to happen. The central cast for this, it’s fairly small, keeping a more tight-knit circle of participants and potential victims.
Now, the way is presented, it’s unsettling and creepy, but not frightening or scary. The vibe is just uneasy and it can get under your skin. Even when the characters do some severely dumb things. At the end of the second episode, it almost seemed like the story was wrapping up. It was an odd progression.
Even though I knew there were many more episodes still to go, but after this two episode dive into Violent Carnage, the show then begins to let us into some of the lore that brought it all about. The show also introduces a little bit of humor into the dialogue. It was kind of an abrupt addition and I wasn’t sure about the change in tone because it seemed to break the tension that had been established. But unlike some Marvel movie that’s afraid to get too serious and instead tosses in a joke to deflect, the humor here, it’s actually ingrained with a character we meet and then his exuberance for helping. So, while it was strange to all of a sudden have this bit of silliness interjected, the character is extremely endearing and charismatic, allowing his passion and fervor to become excitable and then funny.
And I also appreciate that this character maintains this personality trait all the way through the show. So, it’s not used as this one-off distraction to kind of lighten the mood. Instead, it becomes natural and organic, a key element to his personality. Now, with the eight episodes, the show does struggle at times with maintaining its urgent pace and focus. While the storytelling doesn’t veer off into unrelated tangents, sometimes the timelines become a bit fuzzy, making it difficult to tell if we’re in a flashback in somebody’s mind or if the freaky events are just playing out in real time.
The cast adds so much to the arcs, though, so despite not always being able to differentiate between passion and possession, the acting is intense and captivating. And because I’ve watched a lot of South Korean films and series on Netflix, I’ve noticed a common theme that each typically touch on, and that’s bullying. And my assumption is that it’s a pervasive issue that the storytelling works to address through all sorts of moral allegorories. For this series, there is a little of that introduced within the plot, but more so this takes a look at grief, shame, loneliness, loss, and anger, and then infuses them all together to bring about a malevolence that is savage and nasty. And speaking of that, it’s not just the first episode or two that are gruesomely violent.
Just about every episode features some sort of wsinducing visual that can make you queasy in the Nether regions and have you pulling up your legs tightly to form a cocoon of comfort. Now, I’m sure somewhere in this there’s also a warning on why you should trim your fingernails, [laughter] but I’m going to let you determine if that’s accurate or not. I was entranced by a lot of the trippy visuals that the show employs. There are dreamlike atmospheres that allow for the bending of physics, much like a nightmare with Freddy. Here, when we enter some altered states through visions, the scenery can become a nightmarish environment, creating labyrinthine passageways full of threat and darkness, which then creates a sort of mobious strip treadmill of gnarliness and fear.
Now, if you were experiencing this like the characters were, I think it’s safe to assume that you’d want to nope right out of there as quickly as possible. But the fact that our characters have to traverse such forboding areas adds a lot of suspenseful anticipation that doesn’t go without payoffs. As the show concludes, there is a mid-credit sequence that makes it appear as if there will be more to the story going forward. But because Netflix build this as a limited series, I’m guessing it’s just showing how people don’t always learn and they need to experience certain consequences in order to get the point. Now, I’m totally fine if this remains a oneanddone show.
There is a satisfying conclusion that isn’t all happygolucky with sunshine and rainbows, but the melancholy does have a bit of a reprieve. I had fun with this, even though the idea of the story isn’t a wholly novel one. The way it’s presented and the underlying mythos that’s allowing the butchery to occur, I thought it was enveloping. The graphics are convincingly achieved, creating viscerally grotesque imagery that doesn’t shy away from the story savagery. The pacing can become distracted at times, and the addition of humor is jarring at first, but the story doesn’t continue to be hampered by these difficulties and regains its momentum and suspense, leading to a cautionary tale that will make you second guessess your next birthday wish.
There’s no sex or nudity, a lot of profanity, and then a ton of horrific violence, which includes self harm. I give If Wishes Could four out of five couches. Now, this isn’t the freakiest watch I’ve seen in a while, but it’s certainly a good one. Okay. Have you seen any awesome supernatural horrors lately?
I would love to get some recommendations in the comments below. If you enjoyed this review.
