Wishing Stairs

I watched Wishing Stairs, the third film in the Whispering Corridors series. The story follows Jin-sung and So-hee, two best friends studying ballet at a girls’ boarding school. Both want a spot at a Russian ballet academy, but when So-hee seems likely to win, jealousy starts eating at Jin-sung. Things get dark when a rumor spreads about a staircase that grants wishes. Climb all 28 steps, count them out loud, and a 29th step appears to make your wish come true.

A lonely bullied girl named Hye-ju tries it first. She wishes to be thin and overnight she becomes slim. Jin-sung sees this and climbs the stairs to wish for the ballet competition win. Her wish comes true in a horrible way. So-hee gets into a terrible accident, can’t dance anymore, and eventually kills herself. Jin-sung gets what she wanted but drowns in guilt. Then Hye-ju wishes So-hee back to life, and a ghostly So-hee starts haunting the school.

The setup is strong. The friendship and rivalry between Jin-sung and So-hee feel real and emotional. Both actresses show how love, jealousy, and regret can destroy relationships. The movie looks beautiful too, with cold colors and soft lighting that match the sad tone. The idea of a ghostly ballerina is creepy and creative. Some shots, like a bloody foot dancing in a dark hallway, are genuinely striking.

But the movie loses focus halfway through. The ghost story gets confusing and falls back on typical Asian horror cliches like long-haired ghosts, slow crawling, and dark corridors. The pacing drags near the end and scenes stretch on without building tension. Hye-ju’s storyline also feels messy. Her transformation, weird obsession, and later madness aren’t handled well, and the fat suit used for her early scenes looks fake.

Unlike earlier films in the series, Wishing Stairs doesn’t dig into deeper social themes. It drops the harsh school commentary for a more standard horror approach. It’s not terrible but feels uneven, part tragedy and part ghost story without fully succeeding at either.

The movie has a sad haunting atmosphere, beautiful imagery, and strong performances, but the story loses its heart as it becomes just another ghost tale. It starts as a dark drama about friendship and envy but ends as a familiar horror film that never quite hits the emotional or scary heights it’s aiming for.