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.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16] In June 2018, it was announced that another two sequels are scheduled to be filmed in 2019.[17] The sequel, titled Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days, was released on 1 August 2018.[18]
In the first court, 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 therefore 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 suffering from malnutrition. 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. The request is granted. Ja-hong reveals that, due to poverty, he intended to commit familicide 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
Director Kim Yong-hwa (left) with the cast of the film.
Main
Ha Jung-woo as Gang-rim,[21] 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 as Haewonmak,[22] a younger, energetic, and sarcastic Grim Reaper who is proficient with sword fighting. He is represented by the Sun.
Kim Hyang-gi 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.
Along with the Gods took ₩40 billion (around US$36.6 million) 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.[2]
Chinese production company Alpha Pictures invested $2.2 million.[3]
Filming began on 26 May 2016 and ended on 22 March 2017.[25]
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.[26] Further, the film was pre-sold to another 90 countries at the American Film Market (AFM) in Santa Monica, California, U.S.A, increasing the number of countries released to 103 in total.[27][28]
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 US$2.9 million gross.[29] By 22 December 2017, the film surpassed the 1 million viewer mark and grossed a total of US$9.3 million.[30]
By 31 December 2017, the film had attracted 8,523,149 viewers with a total earning of US$63.9 million.[31] As of 3 January 2018, the film attracted 10 million viewers in just 15 days.[32]
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.[33]
Taiwan
Upon its release in the theaters in Taiwan on 22 December 2017, the film grossed NT$5 million.[34] 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.[35] After a week of its release, the film grossed NT$50 million.[36] On the 10th day of its release, the film grossed NT$100 million.[37][38] On 16 January 2018, the film overtook Train to Busan to become the highest-grossing Korean film in Taiwan, after grossing near to NT$350 million.[39] A month after its release in Taiwan, the film grossed NT$404 million.[40]
Hong Kong
Prior to the official release of the film, the film grossed HK$2.4 million from preview tickets sales.[41] In the first day of its official release, the film grossed HK$5 million.[42] As of 14 January, the film attracted more than 280,000 viewers and grossed HK$12.5 million.[43][44] As of 16 January, the film grossed more than HK$16 million, surpassing The Battleship Island to become the second highest-grossing Korean film in Hong Kong.[45][46] As of 28 January, the film grossed more than HK$40 million.[47]
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.[48] James Marsh of the South China Morning Post 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."[49] Yip Wai Yee of The Straits Times wrote that the film "may be soap-opera melodrama, but at least it is unapologetic about it."[50] 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."[51]
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.[52]
^"Seventh of the Ten Kings of Hell". National Museum of Korea. Retrieved 16 November 2023. This is a Buddhist painting depicting the seventh of the ten kings of hell. On the 49th day after death, the soul of the deceased comes before the seventh king and may be reborn, depending on his or her actions in this world. This painting portrays the dead being squeezed into a punishment device designed to inflict great pain.
^"The Tenth King of Hell (dated 1798)". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 16 November 2023. In the Buddhist world, the Ten Kings of Hell serve as judges of the deceased to determine their fate, including the type and severity of punishment and the course of their cycle of rebirth
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