If Wishes Could Kill (Korean: 기리고) is a 2026 South Korean young adult horror television series written by Park Joong-seop, directed by Park Youn-seo and starring Jeon So-young, Kang Mi-na, Baek Sun-ho, Hyun Woo-seok, and Lee Hyo-je. The series follows five high school students who must uncover the truth behind "Girigo", a mysterious wish-granting application after it begins predicting their sudden deaths. It was released on Netflix on April 24, 2026.
Contents
Synopsis
At Seorin High School, a group of students discover "Girigo", a mobile application that claims to grant users' wishes. Following the sudden death of a classmate, a connection is discovered between the application and a series of supernatural omens predicting the deaths of other students. Yoo Se-ah, Lim Na-ri, Kim Geon-woo, Kang Ha-joon, and Choi Hyeong-wook attempt to stop the cycle of deaths by investigating the app's origins.
Cast and characters
Main
Jeon So-young as Yoo Se-ah, a track and field student-athlete at Seorin High School who's suspicious about the Girigo app.
Kim Gyu-ram as young Se-ah
Kang Mi-na as Lim Na-ri, a popular student at Seorin High School who originally doubts the rumors regarding the Girigo's negative reputation due to being in denial after having made a drunken wish.
Jung Cho-ha as young Na-ri
Baek Sun-ho as Kim Geon-woo, a student at Seorin High School who is in a secret relationship with Se-ah and use the Girigo app.
Lee Si-on as young Geon-woo
Hyun Woo-seok as Kang Ha-joon, a student who uses his programming knowledge to analyze the Girigo's software.
Lee Joo-won as young Ha-joon
Lee Hyo-je as Choi Hyeong-wook, a student whose circumstances change after using the Girigo to make a wish
Kim Min-ho as young Hyeong-wook
Supporting
Cha Hee as Yoo Ji-sun, Se-ah's aunt who is a doctor and took care of her after her parents passed away
Jo Wan-ki as a homeroom teacher
Yoon Sa-bong as Coach Song, the track and field coach at Seorin High School
Park Tae-rin as Lee Dong-jae, a member of coding club at Seorin High School who thought the idea of the Girigo app
Sim Su-bin as Yang Hee-jin, member of coding club at Seorin High School and Na-ri's acquaintance
Lim Dong-yoon as the elevator man
Yun Ki-chang as a detective
Jo Young-ji as Se-ah's mother
Jung Chung-min as Se-ah's father
Lee Dong-yong as a taxi driver
Lee Seung-jun as Min-soo, Hyeong-wook's online friend on Discord who introduced the Girigo app to him
Choi Soo-min as a neighborhood small store owner
Park Soo-oh as Han Gi-tae, a member of coding club at Seorin High School
Park Chung-sun as a taxi driver
Special appearances
Jeon So-nee as Haetsal / Kang Ha-young, Ha-joon's sister and a shaman who uncovers the curse of the Girigo app and helps the students
Roh Jae-won as Bangwool, Haetsal's partner who is also a shaman and together with the students investigates the supernatural origins of the Girigo app
Lee Sang-hee as Eop-soon, Si-won's mother, a shaman and an alcoholic
Kim Si-a as Do Hye-ryung, Si-won's friend who first uses the Girigo app to wish everyone's death and commits suicide by slitting her own throat
Choi Ju-eun as Kwon Si-won, the developer of Girigo app and the real cause of the application's curse. She is Eop-soon's daughter.
Production
Development
Netflix announced the production of the series in March 2025, under the working title Wish Your Death. The project was developed with a focus on the "Young Adult Horror" subgenre, aiming to blend traditional elements of spirits and curses with modern digital culture. According to the production announcement, the narrative explores the psychological instability and aspirations of teenagers, specifically utilizing a mobile application as the central medium for the supernatural conflict. Park Youn-seo was put in charge to direct from a screenplay penned by Park Joong-seop with CJ ENM Studios and Kairos Makers managing the production.
Casting
The casting process prioritized rising actors to provide a "fresh" perspective to the ensemble, which includes Jeon So-young, Kang Mi-na, Baek Sun-ho, Hyun Woo-seok, and Lee Hyo-je. Following the announcement of five lead actors, Jeon So-nee and Roh Jae-won also joined the cast.
In June 2025, it was reported that Kim Si-a would make a special appearance. Later, in an interview with Star News, Park Soo-oh confirmed his involvement in the series, noting that he would appear as a character in a specific episode.
Marketing
In March 2026, Netflix released the first teaser poster and trailer for the series. The poster features Yoo Se-ah in a school hallway with a cracked smartphone, featuring the tagline: "Got a wish worth dying for?" The accompanying trailer introduced the "red timer" mechanic of the Girigo app, showing Choi Hyeong-wook in a state of distress as a countdown begins on his device.
Release
Netflix confirmed If Wishes Could Kill was scheduled to be released in the second quarter of 2026. By March 2026, the series was confirmed to premiere globally on April 24.
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10.
Viewership
If Wishes Could Kill debuted at number four on Netflix's global weekly chart for non-English shows. According to data from Netflix Tudum for the week of April 20–26, the series recorded 2.8 million views in its first three days. It reached the top 10 in 37 countries, including South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, Mexico, Peru, India, and the Czech Republic.
