Hell Deconstructed: Two Visions of Hell in Along with the Gods:The Two Worlds and Hellbound

In South Korea, despite views of religion as offering solace, the concept of hell maintains a strong presence. Narratives about hell are common across the major religions but are also found in the non-denominational sphere. We analyze two examples of cinematic visions of hell found in the South Korean film Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (Kim Yong-hwa, 2017) and the South Korean TV series Hellbound (Yeon Sang-ho, 2021). While Along with the Gods uses hell as a spectacular space, Hellbound, by removing the question of morality from hell, subverts its meaning. Although in their depictions both series refer to the traditional vision of hell, especially that of Buddhism, their interpretation goes beyond traditional models. We argue that the representation of hell in both works can be read as a polemic or even a critique of institutional religions and is an example of religious bricolage in post-secular South Korea.