Publisher Well Go USA has re-released the Korean fantasy-melodrama film Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds to Blu-ray. The film might seem an unlikely hit, based on a web-comic (and not even a particularly well-drawn one), but the film’s dizzying, genre-blending vision of the afterlife struck a chord with viewers, and in 2018 it became one of South Korea’s highest-grossing films of all time.

I was awestruck by this film on its original release, and am glad to have the opportunity to write about it in a faith context for its return to Blu-ray.

Along with the Gods follows the events set into motion by the death of a firefighter, Kim Ja-hong (Cha Tae-hyun). The young man, well-regarded for his industriousness and courage, ultimately sacrificed his life in the line of duty to save a child. In death, he is canonized as a “Paragon” of virtue – a rare occurrence that hasn’t happened for some centuries.

Upon his death, Ja-hong is met by three Guardians – beings akin to grim reapers or angels, dressed like the cast of The Matrix – to guide him through 49 days of judgment which will determine if he will achieve reincarnation. Because of his Paragon status, the Guardians (Ha Jung-woo, Ju Ji-Hoon, and Kim Hyang-gi) – who serve as his guides, bodyguards, and attorneys – are confident. He basically has a Get Out of Jail Free card, so this should be a cakewalk. They just need to punch his ticket, adding one more notch on their own belts toward their own salvation.

On the surface, it’s a slick and even silly action-fantasy epic – the afterlife is not only a place of judgment but an arduous trek across an unforgiving landscape, fraught with obstacles and monsters, not to mention entrances to various hells. But peel back a layer or two beyond the CGI-fueled visual spectacle and this is also a movie with an incredible depth of soul and powerful spiritual insight, weighing the idea of a life well lived, at the precipice of eternity.

The pantheon of gods presiding over this process aren’t omniscient, but petty and flawed judges who must be presented with evidence in order to reach their verdicts, with the Guardians acting as Ja-hong’s defense. As his series of trials begins, we see his life laid bare and judged: his triumphs, sins, and true motivations. The many lives he has enriched, and the deep pain he has caused his own family. Acts of both brutal violence and sacrificial love. His darkest secrets, and his greatest regrets.

Critically, it’s not only the gods who are presented with his crimes, but Ja-hong himself: he is made to confront not only his own wretchedness, but the unknown impacts of his actions.

Meanwhile, in the human world, the impact of Ja-hong’s life continues to reverberate, and the sudden death of his younger brother – who dies harboring deep, bitter resentment toward him – manifests as a vengeful ghost that makes things much more complicated.

Clearly, Along with the Gods is in no way is intended to represent a specifically Christian or Biblical worldview (these concepts are based on Buddhist teachings and Korean folklore), but I have never seen a film grapple so effectively with these heavy and important ideas of sin, judgment, and eternal consequences, making them real to the viewer. In fact, the original Korean title of the film isn’t “The Two Worlds”, but rather “Sin and Punishment”. Beneath the comic-pulp fantasy adventure is a genuine consideration of the hereafter.

Ja-hong is, the film tells us directly, a Paragon. One of the most virtuous men, in fact, to have died in hundreds of years. In theory, he should easily pass through judgment and achieve reincarnation. But instead, his hearings are a series of scathing indictments as the angry gods ponder his life’s transgressions.

So why, then, is his judgment so difficult? If a Paragon can’t achieve salvation through his good deeds, what hope is there for the rest of us?

What hope, indeed.

I found this so insightful about the human condition. Even the most virtuous man is unworthy of salvation. Because this is fantasy entertainment, a loophole is found and there’s ultimately a happy ending, but if we honestly extrapolate this idea to its ultimate conclusion, it might be best expressed in the simple Biblical truth: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). For me, this isn’t just the conclusion of an intriguing work of fiction, but something I genuinely believe. But my hope doesn’t come from my own virtue, if there is any, but from the promise of a God who isn’t flawed, petty, or spiteful, but extends an unfathomable love to all sinners, even “among whom I am the chief” (1 Timothy 1:15).

Understand, Along with the Gods is a Korean melodrama which, for the uninitiated, means it’s a heightened sentimentality and you kind of have to let it carry you. The heavy CGI can skew toward cartoonishness. Seeing thousands of souls trapped in a lake of fire should be heart-rending, but it may be hard to find the weight of the moment when it looks like a video game. Viewers who aren’t able to find the flow of the film’s emotional beating heart may find themselves on the wrong wavelength, getting distracted by the elements that feel sappy or silly without appreciating its true power – but it’s deeply rewarding to a willing participant.

Along with the Gods was conceived and filmed as a two-parter. The sequel, The Next 49 Days, also released the same year (it’s not as good), and further third and fourth entries in the series are reportedly in development.

The Package:

Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds was originally released to US Blu-ray in 2018, but it has since gone out of print.

Publisher Well Go USA has re-released the film to Blu-ray as a manufactured-on-demand (ie burned) Blu-ray. Whereas the 2018 release was a retail DVD combo pack available with a slipcover, the re-release is a simple MOD Blu-ray edition in no-frills packaging.

Special Features & Extras:

The disc content appears to be identical to the prior release, with the same extras and 2018-era promotional trailers.

  • Behind the Scenes (3:59)
  • Character Intros (2:11)
  • Teaser Trailer ( 00:51)
  • Trailer (2:04)
  • Promotional Trailers
    • Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead (1:30)
    • The Monkey King 3 (1:25)
    • A Taxi Driver (1:54)

 

 

A/V Out

Get it at Amazon – Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds Blu-ray (2025 Re-release)
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