Plot
Wishing Stairs also known as Whispering Corridors 3: Wishing
Stairs is a South Korean horror film. Yun Jin-sung (Song Ji-hyo) and Kim So-hee's life (Park
Han-byul) are best friends studying ballet at an all-girls art school, the
latter usually showing a lot of affection towards the former. However, their
friendship soon turns sour when they find themselves competing for a single
spot in a Russian ballet school. At an art exhibit within the school, Jin-sung
learns from an odd, near obese student named Eom Hye-ju (Jo An), of an old
legend that if a person climbs the twenty eight steps leading up to the
school's dormitory, counting each step aloud, and finds a twenty ninth, then a
fox spirit will appear, and grant that person's wish. Curious, Jin-sung does
climb the stairs and comes across the twenty ninth, happily wishing to gain the
spot. To her surprise and anger later on, So-hee is selected instead. When
So-hee confronts her on this, Jin-sung declares her hatred towards her best
friend and accidentally sends the former down a flight of stairs during a
scuffle. So-hee is left unconsciousness and hospitalized.
Jin-sung visits So-hee in the hospital and learns indirectly
that she is no longer able to study ballet during an argument with her mother
due to her injuries from the fall. Jin-sung tries to apologize towards her
friend for what happened, but receives no reply and leaves feeling guilty.
During the next day, she learns from another student in class that So-hee had
committed suicide by jumping out of her hospital room to her death, causing her
to faint as a result. As the fight between the two was witnessed by several
other girls, Jin-sung is now seen down upon by many of the student body, who
believe that she intentionally pushed So-hee down the flight of stairs out of jealously.
As Jin-sung's wish comes true in which she gets the spot for the ballet school,
her fellow students throw her a surprise party for it, but still treat her
coldly by throwing a cake for her into her face.
Affected greatly by So-hee's death, as she was the only girl
to treat her with kindness, Hye-ju attempts to keep So-hee's belongings for
herself, but is ridiculed by other students for it, mainly Han Yun-ji (Park
Ji-yeon), a girl who enjoys bullying Hye-ju over her weight. Later on, she
climbs the steps outside the dormitory too, and is able to wish for So-hee to
come back. While So-hee does indeed return, she returns as a twisted spirit who
initially frightens Hye-ju, but soon gains her trust by telling her she had
liked her a lot and convinces her to dye her hair black. However, So-hee soon
possesses her.
As Yun-ji has finished up a sculpting project in a storage
room within the school's basement, she is soon confronted by the possessed
Hye-ju and is made fun of by smelling weird. The possessed Hye-ju questions as
to why she must be always be bullied by her, then proceeds to stab Yun-ji to
death with a pair of scissors. As Jin-Sung enters the room to gather supplies,
she is encountered by Hye-ju as well, who tries to convince her that she is So-hee.
After coming across Yun-ji's corpse, Jin-sung is convinced that Hye-ju is
insane and tries to get away from her, knocking over a can of oil. After
hearing So-hee's voice in Hye-ju stating that their friendship will end,
Jin-sung is able to leave. The spirit of So-hee then apparently makes Hye-ju
light a match and toss it over the spilled oil, leaving the troubled girl to
perish within the growing flames.
While Jin-sung is preparing to leave for the ballet school,
she is again haunted by So-hee within her dorm room and throughout the school
several times. Unable to endure the spirit's presence any further, she tries to
climb the stairs again in order to wish her away. Before she could reach the
top, So-hee calls out to her, then holds her arms around her stomach as
Jin-sung confesses that she didn't hate her and simply wanted to be happy.
Believing that Jin-sung does not love her as much as the other way around,
So-hee states that she want to be with her always and proceeds to crush
Jin-sung's stomach inwards with her arms, killing her. After letting her
friend's now-lifeless body fall to the bottom of the stairs, the spirit
vanishes.
Some time later, a new girl (whose face is not seen) moves
into the same dorm room that Jin-sung once occupied. As she moves her stuff
around, a picture with Jin-sung and So-hee on it is seen on the floor of the
room. Within it, So-hee's irises on her eyes disappear, implying that she still
remains.
Synopsis
The film itself seems to mirror the ballet Giselle, which
girls in the film are studying, as well as drawing upon the classic short story
The Monkey's Paw, with So-hee as Giselle, and Jin-sung as Albrecht. Unhappy
with always having to play the "prince" to So-hee's princess,
Jin-sung betrays So-hee, which in turn leads to So-hee being crippled and
commits suicide after her friend Jin-sung confesses she has hated her all
along. When So-hee's spirit is wished back, Jin-sung is haunted by So-hee's
ghost, the love she once felt for her friend warped by Jin-sung's hurtful
actions.
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