In 2017, director Kim Yong-hwa (The Moon) released the first of two (currently) films in the Along with the Gods series, The Two Worlds. Adapted from a webtoon by author Joo Ho-min, The Two Worlds borrows from the Buddhist belief in the Ten Kings of Hell to construct an action-packed thrill ride as three reapers (called Guardians) serve as defense attorneys and protectors of souls as those souls journey through 49 days of judgement. Though there’s no official news for a third outing, Well Go USA has re-released The Two Worlds on Blu-ray with the original supplemental materials. So if you’ve yet to start your introspective journey of self, now’s the time.
Front-Center: Kim Hyang-gi as Deok-choon in ALONG WITH THE GODS: THE TWO WORLDS. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
While on the job, firefighter Kim Ja-hong (Cha Tae-hyun) dies in the process of saving a young girl. Upon his death, three guardians appear — Haewonmak, Lee Deok-choon, and Gang-rim (Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Hyang-gi, and Ha Jung-woo, respectively) — and inform him of what comes next as he leaves the physical world for the spiritual one. Due to having died in the act of saving a life, he’s given the title of “paragon,” which the guardians think should make the process of judgement smooth and lead to an easy declaration of reincarnation; however, the further into the trials they go, the more it seems that Ja-hong may not be who he seems. Adding to this, decisions in the physical world are creating chaos within the spiritual, requiring that a balance be struck in order to reestablish peace, but doing so may result in Ja-hong’s damnation.
The following home release review is based on a Blu-ray edition provided by Well Go USA via Allied Vaughn Entertainment.
Cha Tae-hyun as Kim Ja-hong in ALONG WITH THE GODS: THE TWO WORLDS. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
With this edition being a re-release similar to that of Flash Point, let’s start with what you need to know before delving into an exploration of the film. Specifically, that the on-disc presentation and supplemental materials appear to be identical to the prior Blu-ray release. There’s no change in audio features or video technical specs (re: improvements) and the supplemental features (featurettes and previews) are the same. What’s different in this edition is that this is a lone Blu-ray versus the previous combo which included a DVD. Well Go has long since stopped releasing combo editions (bummer for this physical media collector), but it makes sense as Blu-ray access is both increasingly more common than DVD and cheaper than it has been. If you already own The Two Worlds, there’s nothing new here to lure you back for a double purchase (which is good), but it also means that new buyers are getting a little less (even if they don’t know it).
On to the film. It appears that both The Two Worlds and, its follow-up, The Last 49 Days, were shot concurrently, though released separately. The two films are indeed connected with the end of one directly sliding into the start of the next. This works in the films’ favor as it helps create a seamless transition from one to the other, as well as allows several narrative crumbs to be created in The Two Worlds to be addressed later. However, as a single story, The Two Worlds is both quickly paced and engaging, while also over-burdened and boringly repetitive. The film wastes little time getting the concept set up, opening with Ja-hong’s death, the introduction of the Guardians, and the start of his trials. Throwing the audience into things injects propulsion into the narrative and, even if one isn’t familiar with the Buddhist foundation, the presentation of each trial is such that anyone can follow between title cards, exposition from the Guardians, and repeated position of God/Goddess overseeing the respective trial and the two prosecutors who continually seek to secure a guilty verdict on Ja-hong. One doesn’t need to know Ten Kings of Hell or have a background in Korea culture in order to grasp the implications of each challenge Ja-hong faces, the philosophical terror of being called something one doesn’t believe about themselves (in this case “paragon”) and the universally terrifying experience of having to face the particulars of one’s life under a microscope. However, the trials with five of the seven judges that Ja-hong faces play out in nearly the exact same way with guilt presumed until a revelation or shift in perception is revealed and then he’s allowed to continue on. It’s necessary for the overall story for Ja-hong to progress and to further increase his anxiety for “being discovered,” but the manner in which these five segments are structured doesn’t achieve that intended effect. This is, of course, not helped by the fact that other important aspects are zoomed past like why Ja-hong, specifically, is being attacked by ghouls versus general discord in the spiritual world. Given that we learn that the angered spirit isn’t trying to punish Ja-hong, the lack of explanation for those less familiar with Buddhism results in feeling as though the setup and reveal don’t deliver a satisfying revelation, as intended. Instead, with the transfer from Ja-hong’s story to that of The Last 49 Days, the reasoning seemed more about setting up the next story than focusing on delivering a narrowed and clear tale here. This isn’t to imply that a reason isn’t given or that it doesn’t fit within the constructed narrative; it all aligns and works concurrently, but rather than being its own story, The Two Worlds comes across as mere preparation for The Last 49 Days, thereby diminishing the connection to Ja-hong’s journey, which is setup as our focus.
Ju Ji-hoon as Haewonmak in ALONG WITH THE GODS: THE TWO WORLDS. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
All of the above is likely a by-product of the two films being shot as one, creating a sense that The Two Worlds isn’t so much a standalone as a Part One. From that view, the film does satisfy in that Ja-hong is given a complete arc through which we learn enough about the spiritual world to understand most of how it functions, to buy into his stakes, and to get a sense of the unorthodox nature of his Guardians, specifically that of Ha’s leader Gang-rim (who is very clearly going to become the primary for The Last 49 Days). It also allows for a complex view of the human experience in which none of us arrive to the next life without having caused some kind of harm. Here, the use of Ja-hong as a “paragon” empowers Director Kim to navigate the complexities of our lives as we divine whether the self-identity we cultivate aligns with the way we’re seen vs. the way we actually are. It’s not that Ja-hong didn’t earn the title of “paragon,” it’s the reason he becomes selfless that matters and the film ensures that we understand that. So, as layer after layer of Ja-hong is removed and his truth revealed, we, too, are challenged to review our own past actions to determine if we are who we are today based on the consequences of altruistic, selfish, or apathetic choices. Though each type of choice is indicative of who we are as people, having the space to reshape, reform, or restructure ourselves is also part of the human experience and is not to be discounted. This is what flows underneath the whole of The Two Worlds and, based on its end, what may just power the whole of The Last 49 Days.
L-R: Oh Dal-su as Prosecutor, Lee Jung-jae as King Yeomra, and Im Won-heeas Prosecutor in ALONG WITH THE GODS: THE TWO WORLDS. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
As a re-release, you get nothing new and everything that was already available, which is a plus, but this is a title difficult to recommend because it’s incomplete. Specifically, while The Two Worlds is a completed film with a clear beginning, middle, and end, the story it’s telling is incomplete. Even as it introduces Don Lee’s Household God in the final moments, one gets the sense that the tale is just beginning instead of wrapping up. To that end, if you don’t already have this, try to stream it somewhere (Hi-YAH! or Prime Video, perhaps) before buying. Make sure that ownership is something you want to commit to because buying one will likely mean doing the same with The Last 49 Days in order to be truly satisfied narratively.
Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds Special Features:
- Character Intros
- Behind the Scenes
- Well Go USA Previews
Re-released on Blu-ray December 23rd, 2025.
For more information, head to the official Well Go USA Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds webpage.
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Categories: Home Video, Reviews
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