Many horror fans with an affinity for cult films flocked to The ABCs of Death when it was first released in 2012. With such an original concept, it was impossible to resist. We have, 26 directors, 26 letters of the alphabet, and each director is given a letter and told to choose a word, creating a 3-5 minute short in which someone or several people are killed.
The first installment, as expected, had its short films that outshone others. However, as a whole, ABCs of Death wasn’t particularly an enjoyable watch. It became overhyped by cult classic directors and was a disappointment for most. Fortunately for ABCs of Death 2, the directing is mostly solid and the short films range from enjoyable to unpredictable to and unapologetically offensive, and it is a blast to watch.
Yes, the same dilemma arises with ABCs of Death 2: Some short films outshine others, and several feel entirely outlandish and unnecessary. However, as a whole, this sequel is filled with insane storylines, violent brashness, and mind-bending segments that were simply nonexistent or entirely boring in the first film.
ABCs of Death 2 opens with a fantastic short film by E.L. Katz (Cheap Thrills) that sets the right pace for the film. Several segments that stood out to myself were letters J (is for Jesus), O (is for Ochlocracy), and its fantastically cerebral endnotes with X (is for Xylophone), Y (is for Youth), and Z (is for Zygote). However, as every horror fan has their own preference in storytelling, favorites will vary greatly.
Most important of all, ABCs of Death 2 is a gory, thrilling, cerebral mixing pot of hysteria and horror that many cult classic enthusiasts will savor. It is insanity from start to finish and definitely worth a look-even if you’re still a bit on the fence because of the first installment. It’s loads better. Trust me.
OVERALL SUMMARY
26 letters of the alphabet. 26 different directors. 26 awesomely grisly deaths. Enjoy!
