'If Wishes Could Kill' combines genres for immersive horror experience

Actor Jeon So-young in a scene from "If Wishes Could Kill" / Courtesy of Netflix

Netflix series “If Wishes Could Kill” is an eight-part horror series that blends various genres including occult and action to keep viewers engaged, director Park Yoon-seo said Tuesday.

“While short films can effectively create fear in a brief moment, I put significant effort into this as a longer series,” the director said during a press conference in Seoul. He added that he focused on building a believable plot to ensure audiences stay immersed.

The eight-part series follows high school students who are suddenly warned of their imminent deaths through a curse from a wish-granting app called Girigo. The story depicts their desperate struggles to escape the curse and survive.

Park said he integrated elements of occult, action and school dramas into a traditional horror framework. He believes this combination will prevent the audience from feeling bored throughout the eight episodes.

“I wanted to go beyond the limits of standard horror,” the director said. “By combining different genres, I made sure there is never a dull moment from the beginning to the last episode.”

From left, actors Roh Jae-won, Lee Hyo-je, Kang Mi-na, Jeon So-young and Hyeon Woo-seok pose during a press conference for Netflix series “If Wishes Could Kill” in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Regarding his choice of Jeon So-young for the lead role, Park said he wanted an actor who possessed a naturally bright energy.

“I felt that the audience would get exhausted if the character was dark all the time,” he said. “During the audition, Jeon delivered exactly the kind of bright and energetic performance I was looking for.”

Jeon, who plays the role of Yoo Se-ah, described her character as a talented athlete. She said her character works hard to save her friends from the curse of the app.

“Since she is a promising athlete, I had to master the posture of a long jumper,” the actor said. “I went through track and field training almost every day for about two months.”

She also mentioned that she cut her hair short and got a tan to better fit the physical requirements of the role.

Kang Mi-na plays Lim Na-ri, a realist who does not believe in the curse of the app. She described her character as someone who always stands out at school and has a strong sense of self-possession.

“She is a character who will do anything to get what she wants,” the actor said.

“I am actually very afraid of horror movies and cannot watch them,” she said, drawing laughter from the crowd. “I had to prepare myself mentally to not even blink an eye while we were on the film set.”

The director expressed his hope that the series would serve as a launchpad for talented rookie actors, similar to the 1990s Korean horror classic franchise “Whispering Corridors.” He mentioned that he is still considering whether future seasons will tell entirely new stories or continue the current narrative.

In addition to Jeon and Kang, the series stars Baek Sun-ho, Hyun Woo-seok, Lee Hyo-je, Roh Jae-won and Jeon So-nee.

“If Wishes Could Kill” is scheduled to be released on Netflix Friday.