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''Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds'' () is a 2017 South Korean fantasy action film directed by Kim Yong-hwa and based on the webtoon series by Joo Ho-min, ''
Along with the Gods ''Along With the Gods'' () is a South Korean manhwa series written and illustrated by Joo Ho-min. The webtoon was released on Internet portal Naver WEBTOON since 2010, and the first volume in print was published on December 27, 2010. It was insp ...
'', which was inspired by the Korean
Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
dynasty Buddhist paintings and early
Buddhist texts Buddhist texts are those religious texts which belong to the Buddhist tradition. The earliest Buddhist texts were not committed to writing until some centuries after the death of Gautama Buddha. The oldest surviving Buddhist manuscripts a ...
of the ''Ten Kings of Hell''. It stars Ha Jung-woo, Cha Tae-hyun,
Ju Ji-hoon Ju Ji-hoon (born May 16, 1982) is a South Korean actor and model. His first leading role was in the 2006 hit drama ''Princess Hours''. His other notable works include ''The Devil'', ''Antique'', ''Mask'', '' Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds'' ...
and
Kim Hyang-gi Kim Hyang-gi (born August 9, 2000) is a South Korean actress. Career Kim began her career as a child actress, debuting in a Paris Baguette Commercial alongside her future co-star Jung Woo Sung and first appeared in the animal film '' Heart ...
. The film was shot as one but presented in two parts. The first part, '' Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds'', was released on 20 December 2017. In June 2018, it was announced that another two sequels are scheduled to be filmed in 2019. The sequel, titled '' Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days'', was released on 1 August 2018. As of May 2019, ''Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds'' is the third highest-grossing film in South Korean cinema history.


Plot

Firefighter Kim Ja-hong ( Cha Tae-hyun) dies in the line of duty and is escorted to the
afterlife The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving ess ...
by three guardians: Hae Won-maek (
Ju Ji-hoon Ju Ji-hoon (born May 16, 1982) is a South Korean actor and model. His first leading role was in the 2006 hit drama ''Princess Hours''. His other notable works include ''The Devil'', ''Antique'', ''Mask'', '' Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds'' ...
), Lee Deok-choon (
Kim Hyang-gi Kim Hyang-gi (born August 9, 2000) is a South Korean actress. Career Kim began her career as a child actress, debuting in a Paris Baguette Commercial alongside her future co-star Jung Woo Sung and first appeared in the animal film '' Heart ...
) and their leader Gang-rim ( Ha Jung-woo). They are to escort and defend Ja-hong in seven trials within
49 days ''49 Days'' () is a 2011 South Korean television series starring Lee Yo-won, Nam Gyu-ri, Jo Hyun-jae, Bae Soo-bin, Jung Il-woo, and Seo Ji-hye. It aired on SBS from March 16 to May 19, 2011 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 ( KST) for 20 epis ...
. If he passes, he will be reincarnated and his guardians will be given credit towards their own reincarnation. In the first court, ''
Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...
of Murder'', Ja-hong is tried for the death of his colleague, who was trapped beneath rubble during a fire. Just as he is about to be sentenced, it is revealed that his colleague told him to prioritize the civilians. After rescuing 8 others, Ja-hong attempted to go back for his colleague only to be held back as the building collapsed. The judge acquits Ja-hong. In the second court, ''Hell of Indolence'', Ja-hong's guardians present his selflessness and diligence. Ja-hong blurts out that he only worked for money and is about to be punished when Gang-rim interjects, stating that the money was to support his brother and ailing mother, and thus secures his second acquittal. On the way to the ''Hell of Deceit'', ghouls attack as the physics of Hell begins to morph. This change indicates that a member of Ja-hong's family had died and become a vengeful spirit. Gang-rim leaves the party to investigate while the remaining group proceeds. Ja-hong is accused of writing fake letters to the family of those who had died, one of whom is Ji-yeon, the daughter of his fallen colleague. Gang-rim supernaturally links with Deok-choon from the living world to defend Ja-hong, stating that he had also written fake letters to his mom to cheer her up, allowing her to focus on her health, and that the letters to Ji-Yeon, despite her actually understanding that her father was dead, helped her cope with her loss. The evidence is thrown out and the charges are dismissed. Gang-rim determines that it is Ja-hong's brother Soo-hong who has become the vengeful spirit. He finds that Soo-hong has been accidentally killed while on guard duty by his partner Dong-yeon, and his death was covered up by their superior, Lieutenant Park. Gang-rim foils an attempt by Soo-hong to kill Dong-yeon and learns that Soo-hong's grudge was not against Ja-hong, but rather Dong-yeon and Park. Dong-yeon tips off Soo-hong's mother on the location of his body and attempts suicide. He is saved by Gang-Rim on Soo-hong's request after the latter agreed to cooperate. The trio pass through the ''Hells of Injustice and Betrayal'' without trial. In the ''Hell of Violence'', Ja-hong is tried for beating Soo-hong when they were younger while the latter was malnourished. As Ja-hong was not forgiven, he is convicted and is about to be punished when Gang-rim instructs Deok-choon to request for a combined trial at the next court, the ''Hell of Filial
Impiety Impiety is a perceived lack of proper respect for something considered sacred. Impiety is often closely associated with sacrilege, though it is not necessarily a physical action. Impiety cannot be associated with a cult, as it implies a larger be ...
''. The request is granted. Ja-hong reveals that, due to poverty, he intended to commit
familicide A familicide is a type of murder or murder-suicide in which one kills multiple close family members in quick succession, most often children, spouses, siblings, or parents. In half the cases, the killer lastly kills themselves in a murder-sui ...
but was discovered by Soo-hong. In a fit, he beat up Soo-hong and fled out of guilt, opting not to be a burden and dedicating his life to supporting them. Gang-rim and Soo-hong arrive at the army base, only to witness the mother's shabby treatment at the hands of Park. Enraged, Soo-hong transforms back into a vengeful spirit and lashes out at the base by conjuring up a massive tornado, only stopping when he realizes how his actions are affecting Ja-hong in the afterlife. At the ''Hell of Filial Impiety'', Ja-hong is immediately judged by Yeomra to be guilty. He learns that on the night of his attempted murder-suicide, his mother was actually awake and had decided to allow it, knowing that she was a burden on her family. Soo-hong, with the help of Gang-rim and Won-maek, enters his mother's dream and learns that she had already forgiven Ja-hong for that night. Since sins that have been forgiven in the living world are not allowed to be judged in the afterlife, Ja-hong is allowed to reincarnate. Afterward, Gang-rim realizes that Yeomra had been meddling with his investigation of Soo-hong. He decides to confront Yeomra directly and chooses Soo-hong as the group's final soul before their own reincarnation.


Cast


Main

* Ha Jung-woo as Gang-rim, a wise and careful Grim Reaper and the leader of Haewonmak and Deok-choon. * Cha Tae-hyun as Kim Ja-hong, a firefighter with a heart of gold and kindness. *
Ju Ji-hoon Ju Ji-hoon (born May 16, 1982) is a South Korean actor and model. His first leading role was in the 2006 hit drama ''Princess Hours''. His other notable works include ''The Devil'', ''Antique'', ''Mask'', '' Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds'' ...
as Haewonmak, a younger, energetic, and sarcastic Grim Reaper who is proficient with sword fighting. He is represented by the Sun. *
Kim Hyang-gi Kim Hyang-gi (born August 9, 2000) is a South Korean actress. Career Kim began her career as a child actress, debuting in a Paris Baguette Commercial alongside her future co-star Jung Woo Sung and first appeared in the animal film '' Heart ...
as Lee Deok-choon, the youngest of the Grim Reapers who even though weak and less experienced, has powerful psychic powers. She is represented by the Moon.


Supporting

* Kim Dong-wook as Kim Soo-hong, the main antagonist of the film and Kim Ja-hong's younger brother. An aspiring lawyer, he was serving in the military until he was murdered and buried alive by his fellow comrades Won Dong-yeon and Park Moo-shin. As a result he became a vengeful spirit and starts terrorizing the underworld. *
Doh Kyung-soo Doh Kyung-soo (; born January 12, 1993), also known by his stage name D.O. (), is a South Korean singer and actor, best known as a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo. Apart from his group's activities, D.O. has starred in various t ...
as
Private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
Won Dong-yeon * Jang Gwang as Jingwang, God of Violence Hell *
Jung Hae-kyun Jung Hae-kyun (; born August 16, 1968) is a South Korean actor. He is known for his roles in '' The Villainess'', '' Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds'' and ''Confession of Murder ''Confession of Murder'' (; lit. "I Am the Murderer") is a 2 ...
as Byeonseong, God of Murder Hell * Oh Dal-su as Prosecutor * Im Won-hee as Prosecutor * Lee Joon-hyuk as First Lieutenant Park Moo-shin *
Kim Su-an Kim Su-an (; born January 26, 2006) is a South Korean actress. She debuted in the entertainment industry when she was five years old, and has since featured in films and television series, eventually gaining wider recognition with her role in the ...
as Taesan *
Kang Da-hyun Kang Da-hyun is a South Korean actress and model. She is known for her roles in dramas such as Dokgo Rewind, My Healing Love and Tale of Fairy. She also appeared in movies Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, Puzzle and Roman Holiday. Biograp ...
as Ji-yeon * Yoon Ji-on as Soo-hong's legionnaire * Ye Soo-jung as Ja-hong's mother * Jung Ji-hoon as Heo Hyun-dong * Nam Il-woo as Heo Choon-sam * Oh Hee-joon as Interpreter soldier *
Sung Yu-bin Sung Yoo-bin (born 25 July 2000) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Film Television series Web series Awards and nominations References External links * * * 2000 births Living people South Korean male televis ...
as young Ja-hong *
Goo Seung-hyun Goo Seung-Hyun (born September 22, 2004), is a South Korean actor. He began his career as a child model when he was five years old, then began acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor or ...
as young Soo-hong * Kim Keu-rim as First Lieutenant Park's wife * Jung A-mi as Kang Rim-moo


Special appearance

*
Yoo Jun-sang Yoo Jun-sang (born November 28, 1969) is a South Korean actor and singer. Yoo is best known for starring in the Hong Sang-soo films '' Ha Ha Ha'' (2010), '' The Day He Arrives'' (2011), and '' In Another Country'' (2012). He was also praised for ...
as Ja-hong's fellow firefighter * Lee Jung-jae as Yeomra, king of the underworld. * Kim Su-ro as girl's father * Kim Ha-neul as Songje, God of Betrayal Hell * Kim Hae-sook as Chogang, God of Indolence Hell *
Lee Geung-young Lee Geung-young (born December 12, 1960) is a South Korean actor. He graduated from the Department of Drama in Seoul. He debuted in 1977 and after completing his mandatory military service, he debuted in 1982 as the 10th public relations actor fo ...
as Ogwan, Great King of the Senses * Kim Min-jong as Afterlife Messenger * Ma Dong-seok as Seongju, a house deity.


Production

* ''Along with the Gods'' took (around ) to produce. Both parts of the film were shot simultaneously. Dexter Studios, one of Asia's largest film production and visual effects studios, who was behind director Kim Yong-hwa's previous film '' Mr. Go'' (2013), created the visual effects for the film. It was reported that around 300 artists and technicians took part in the film's production. * Chinese production company Alpha Pictures invested $2.2 million. * Filming began on 26 May 2016 and ended on 22 March 2017.


Release

''Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds'' was released in the Korean cinemas on 20 December 2017. The film was pre-sold to 12 countries and regions including: Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, the U.S and Canada at the Asian Film Market in Busan. Further, the film was pre-sold to another 90 countries at the
American Film Market The American Film Market (AFM) is a film industry event held each year in early November. Historically, more than 7,000 people attend the eight-day annual event to network and to sell, finance and acquire films. Participants come from more than ...
(AFM) in Santa Monica, California, U.S.A, increasing the number of countries released to 103 in total.


Reception


Box office


South Korea

Upon its release in the theaters, the film attracted 422,339 viewers on its first day and topped the box office with nearly gross. By 22 December 2017, the film surpassed the 1 million viewer mark and grossed a total of . By 31 December 2017, the film had attracted 8,523,149 viewers with a total earning of . As of 3 January 2018, the film attracted 10 million viewers in just 15 days. By 10 February 2018, ''Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds'' grossed more than US$105 million and became the second highest-grossing film in South Korea.


Taiwan

Upon its release in the theaters in Taiwan on 22 December 2017, the film grossed
NT$ The New Taiwan dollar (code: TWD; symbol: NT$, also abbreviated as NT) is the official currency of Taiwan. The New Taiwan dollar has been the currency of Taiwan since 1949, when it replaced the Old Taiwan dollar, at a rate of 40,000 old dollars ...
5 million. In the first week of its release, the film grossed NT$30 million, topping the weekend box office and became the second highest-grossing Korean film of all time in Taiwan. After a week of its release, the film grossed NT$50 million. On the 10th day of its release, the film grossed NT$100 million. On 16 January 2018, the film overtook ''
Train to Busan ''Train to Busan'' () is a 2016 South Korean action horror film directed by Yeon Sang-ho and starring Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Su-an, Choi Woo-shik, Ahn So-hee, and Kim Eui-sung. The film mostly takes place on a high-speed train ...
'' to become the highest-grossing Korean film in Taiwan, after grossing near to NT$350 million. A month after its release in Taiwan, the film grossed NT$404 million.


Hong Kong

Prior to the official release of the film, the film grossed
HK$ The Hong Kong dollar (, sign: HK$; code: HKD) is the official currency of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It is subdivided into 100 cents or 1000 mils. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is the monetary authority of Hong Kong and ...
2.4 million from preview tickets sales. In the first day of its official release, the film grossed HK$5 million. As of 14 January, the film attracted more than 280,000 viewers and grossed HK$12.5 million. As of 16 January, the film grossed more than HK$16 million, surpassing ''
The Battleship Island ''The Battleship Island'' () is a 2017 South Korean period action film starring Hwang Jung-min, So Ji-sub, Song Joong-ki and Lee Jung-hyun. It is a Japanese occupation-era film about an attempted prison break from a forced labor camp on Hashima Is ...
'' to become the second highest-grossing Korean film in Hong Kong. As of 28 January, the film grossed more than HK$40 million.


Critical response

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 67% of critics have given the film a positive review based on nine reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. James Marsh of the ''
South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained ...
'' gave the film three out of five stars, stating that it is "engulfed by melodrama towards the end, but along the way there is fun to be had." Yip Wai Yee of '' The Straits Times'' wrote that the film "may be soap-opera melodrama, but at least it is unapologetic about it." In a negative review, Robert Abele of the '' Los Angeles Times'' wrote, "''Along With the Gods'' strains to whimsically entertain, but routinely fails its smaller human-sized moments due to convoluted plot twists."


Adaptation

On 28 December 2017, Realies Pictures, the production company of ''Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds'', announced a television adaptation of the film. According to the company, the script will be written in 2018, and the drama would be produced in 2019.


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* *
''Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds''
at
Naver Naver (Hangul: 네이버) is a South Korean online platform operated by the Naver Corporation. It was launched in 1999 as the first web portal in South Korea to develop and use its own search engine. It was also the world's first operator to in ...
{{Blue Dragon Film Award Audience Choice 2017 films 2010s fantasy action films 2017 action drama films 2010s Korean-language films Films based on South Korean webtoons Lotte Entertainment films South Korean fantasy films South Korean action drama films Films about the afterlife Films about firefighting South Korean courtroom films Films about personifications of death Films directed by Kim Yong-hwa Live-action films based on comics 2010s fantasy drama films 2010s South Korean films Fiction about Buddhism