She starred in the box office hits Sunny (2011), Miss Granny (2014) and Fabricated City (2017),[1] as well as television series Naeil's Cantabile (2014).

[2] She first gained attention for her role as a sexually abused girl in the horror fairytale Hansel and Gretel,[3][4] and also starred in TV series such as Hwang Jini, The Legend, Women of the Sun, and The Great Merchant; critics say at times she even outshined her adult counterparts.

[5][6] In 2011, she successfully transitioned to a lead actress via the retro dramedy Sunny, which tells the story of seven women, crosscutting between their lives in the present and the experiences that first brought them together as teenagers in the 1980s.

[4] Distinguished for its period detail, witty dialogue and the performances of its ensemble cast,[7][8][9] the film shattered the common belief that women-centered pictures can't achieve blockbuster-level success.

By appealing to a wide range of age groups,[10] Sunny's box office total stood at more than 7 million admissions at the end of its long run.

"[18] With 8.65 million admissions, its box office success surpassed Sunny's, proving Shim's ability to carry a film.

[32][33] In 2018, she starred in The Princess and the Matchmaker, the second installment of the "divining art trilogy" after The Face Reader;[34] and black comedy film Psychokinesis.