Derek Childs (totalovrdose) So-hee (Han-byeol Park) is a beautiful and naturally gifted prima ballerina at a South Korean all girls high school, dedicated to the arts, who isn't only sociable and popular, but the envy of many other students, including the chubby and pathetic Eom Hye-ju (An Jo). So-hee's closest friend Jin-seong (Ji-hyo Song) however, is unable to return her compassion. Lacking the same degree of talent, Jin-seong's jealousy and competitive attitude lead her to the wishing stairs, which, as legend has it, will grant those who ascend them, while simultaneously counting, the opportunity to ask for their most heartfelt desire, an unidentifiable spirit known as the Fox providing them their wish if their dedication proves satisfactory.Dire ramifications await those who use the wishing stairs, with even the best intentioned dreams, once realized, having nightmarish results. Much like the previous installments, Wishing Stairs, the third film in the Whispering Corridors franchise, is a standalone feature, concerning friendship, loyalty, betrayal, jealousy, love, and implied homosexuality. The feature evokes emotions found in the film's predecessor's, including a deep sadness, and despite having a number of good jump scares, the horror exhibited in the feature is often efficaciously conveyed through images, tone and sound.Similar sounds and scores occur over the duration of the film which prepare audiences for an impending fright, the use of these cinematic tactics been less of a warning, and rather incites dread as the film progresses. The sight of ghosts in this film is far more disturbing than in previous installments, as the once beautiful atmosphere, represented through both the characters and the environment, becomes nefariously dark.The acting in this film is especially fantastic, and director Jae-yeon Yun's vision for the project accentuates the ambiance of a once neutral location, into a place of unnerving fear. Unlike its predecessors, the characters of Wishing Stairs are not always likable, and can in fact be unsympathetic and repulsive as their actions lead them farther from the audience's appreciation. This is, in part, exaggerated by the violence, which becomes more pronounced as the feature progresses, although never does the film fall into the trap of relying too heavily on this particular content.Where the last films left the viewer thinking long after the credits were over, Wishing Stairs does not require the same level of attention, exchanging the intellectual conversations that might have occurred after the original features with a sense of ongoing despair. Hardly a nice film, Wishing Stairs reveals how some things are not supposed to be, while some sacrifices are just too great.If you wish, you can procure this film, Whispering Corridors and Memento Mori in the Ghost School Trilogy, a collection that will prove to be a worthwhile investment.

CloverCandy Even fans of horror movies are sometimes in the mood for something a little lighter & this fits the bill. It's not gory or intense. The story is good, as is the acting. I've read a lot of comments about the lesbian tone to it, but it's just barely. I didn't see the first two before this one but I might check them out one night when I want something easy to watch. This movie would be perfect for something like a 13 year old girls slumber party or something like that. If there is a lesson to be learned from this movie, more so than be careful what you wish for, it's use conditioner. The main characters have such gorgeous hair it will make you sick!!

Scarecrow-88 "If you give your heart, the 29th step will appear and grant your wish."It's one of those "Be Careful What You Wish For" type horror flicks with an invisible 29th step taking the place of the genie's lamp. Overweight Hae-ju climbs the 28 stairs nearby her boarding school hoping to lose the excess fat that has made her quite a fixture for chuckles and ridicule. When she takes that one extra step, it seems her wish has come true when Hae-ju notices such rapid weight-loss in such a short period of time. Kim so-hee is quite a success in her ballerina class and an apparent shoo-in for the special part of Gisele in a major Russian play. She's in love with a class-mate, Jin-sung(the film doesn't just come right out and say it loudly, but you can see her adoration for Jin-sung in nearly every moment they are together)who desperately covets the same part so-hee seems destined to portray. Jealous and obsessed, Jin-sung scales the 28 stairs, eyes closed in concentration, hoping to make that one extra step desiring the role of Gisele over so-hee. When, like Hae-ju, she feels that 29th step under her feet, Jin-sung gains hope that it'll all work out for her behalf. It does, but there are consequences for making such a request..in a tragic set of events, Jin-sung will accidentally push so-hee down a stairway. Kim so-hee's leg is damaged in the process and subsequent grief leads to the young girl to the point of taking a leap out her hospital window. Blamed and hated by the students in her class, Jin-sung gets what she asked for, but it costs her much more than she receives. But, Jin-sung's nightmare merely begins..secretly Hae-ju had a fixated hero-worship for Kim so-hee and takes to the 29 steps in request that the one she deeply cared for would return. In true "monkey's paw" fashion, it's quite possible Kim so-hee just might answer that request, with both Jin-sung and Hae-ju becoming haunted by her spirit.

Cinema_Fan The social context is once again played in the class rooms of South Korean horror, Wishing Stairs bases itself on the concept of human misunderstands, fretted relationships and troubled times, if not minds. Human ecology is the main teachings, concerning these young ladies here, that intertwines love, jealousy, rivalry, hate and of course, wishful thinking.Jae-yeon Yun's, this being her first movie, and containing a smattering of horrors past, work here is highly commendable. It delivers a purposely-built crescendo in a pace that honours this Asian genre well, not in a rush to over excite but to keep us near to the truth of the matter. That as life beats its perpetual heart the coming to terms with its perplexities and dealings are never going to be a free ride and at some point the inevitable human spirit shall once again torment itself beyond its capabilities of sanity. To counteract this movies pace, we are dealt with what seems a horror noir, albeit in the visual sense, dark and menacing, though not threatening, Wishing Stairs still has the power and charisma to startle and disturb. With imaginative cinematography from Seo Jeong-min, his use of contrasting both light and dark is compelling viewing, set against the score of one Gong Myeong-ah this combination of both sight and sound can at times have the nerve endings jumping and twitching.The social consequence of the complexities of human interaction are shown to us in a manner that has our actions, in this case negative actions, producing negative results, when one wishes for ones own personnel gain, then one will expect to personally pay the price. Wishing Stairs pays homage to this principle of emotional turmoil, via a beautiful and strong development of its characters long before we see retribution and mayhem that plummets deep into the abyss of madness.