What ABCs of Death 2 is About
ABCs of Death 2 takes the concept of its 2012 predecessor and cranks it up. Rather than a single narrative thread, you're getting 26 self-contained short films, each one a letter of the alphabet, each one tackling death from a radically different angle. The film doesn't pretend to be a cohesive story β it's a showcase, plain and simple. What's striking is how the filmmakers seem to understand the assignment: you're not here for character arcs or three-act structures. You're here to be unsettled, amused, and occasionally horrified by what happens when you give wildly talented directors a few minutes and a conceptual constraint. Some people never learn, as the tagline promises, and that's exactly the point.
Behind the Making of ABCs of Death 2
Produced by Drafthouse Films and Timpson Films, ABCs of Death 2 assembled an genuinely impressive roster of talent across its 26 segments. The directors involved span continents and sensibilities: you've got Jim Hosking, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, the Soska sisters (known for their transgressive horror work), Julian Barratt from The League of Gentlemen, Rodney Ascher (the documentarian behind Room 237), Kristina BuoΕΎytΔ, Larry Fessenden, Navot Papushado and Aharon Keshales, animator Bill Plympton, and Vincenzo Natali among others. That's not a list of names β that's a credential check. The 124-minute runtime works out to roughly five minutes per segment, which forces a kind of creative economy. You can't waste time establishing mood or character when you've got maybe 300 seconds to make an impression. What that constraint does, paradoxically, is free these filmmakers up. There's no room for filler, no space for a scene to overstay its welcome. Every cut matters.
The film arrived in 2014 when anthology horror was still finding its footing in the marketplace, before it became a streaming staple. That Drafthouse Films β a distributor with genuine taste and a willingness to bet on weird β backed this project signals something about how seriously the industry was taking the format. The IMDb rating sits at 5.373/10, which tells you something important: this isn't a film designed to please everyone. It's designed to provoke, to divide, to stick in your memory for all the wrong reasons.
What Makes ABCs of Death 2 Stand Out
Here's the thing about anthology horror that critics don't always acknowledge: it's a format that rewards ambition over consistency. You're going to get segments that miss. That's built into the DNA. But when you've got this many talented directors, the hits outnumber the misses, and the misses are at least interesting in their failure. The Soska sisters' contribution, for instance, doesn't play it safe β it leans into transgression in a way that feels earned rather than gratuitous, which matters. Rodney Ascher brings his documentary sensibility to bear, finding horror not in gore but in implication. Bill Plympton's animation segment is genuinely unnerving in ways that live-action sometimes can't quite achieve.
What I keep coming back to is how the film doesn't apologize for its own excess. It's wilder, leaner, and faster than its predecessor β the stated ambition β and it actually delivers on that promise. There's a confidence in the pacing, a refusal to let any segment overstay its welcome or become self-indulgent. You're watching filmmakers work at maximum efficiency, and that efficiency becomes its own kind of artistry. The woman directors involved (the Soska sisters chief among them) bring perspectives that prevent the anthology from calcifying into a single sensibility, which is crucial for a project this sprawling.
How to Stream ABCs of Death 2 Online
ABCs of Death 2 is available across major OTT services, and Movie OTT tracks current streaming availability so you can find exactly where it's playing right now without the guesswork. Streaming platforms rotate titles constantly, so checking the Where to Watch widget at the top of this page will show you the most up-to-date options β whether that's a subscription service where it's included or a rental platform where you can grab it on demand. The good news is that a 2014 horror anthology isn't exactly a title fighting for shelf space, so it tends to have decent availability across the ecosystem.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is ABCs of Death 2 a sequel, and do I need to watch the first film?
It's the second installment in The ABCs of Death Collection, but since it's an anthology with completely different shorts, you don't need to have seen the original. That said, watching the first film gives you a sense of what the format can do, and some viewers find the progression rewarding.
Q: Who are some of the directors involved in ABCs of Death 2?
The 26 segments feature filmmakers like the Soska sisters, Vincenzo Natali, Bill Plympton, Rodney Ascher, Larry Fessenden, and Julian Barratt. It's genuinely a who's-who of boundary-pushing horror and genre directors.
Q: How long is ABCs of Death 2, and what's the runtime per segment?
The film runs 124 minutes total, which works out to roughly five minutes per short. That tight constraint is actually part of what makes the format work so effectively.
Q: Is ABCs of Death 2 extremely graphic, and what should I expect?
It's a horror anthology, so yes β there's gore, transgression, and unsettling imagery throughout. It's not trying to be palatable. If you're sensitive to graphic content, this probably isn't your film, but if you're looking for horror that doesn't pull punches, you're in the right place.
Q: What's the difference between ABCs of Death 2 and the first film?
The sequel aims to be faster-paced, leaner, and more entertaining than its predecessor, with a fresh crop of international filmmakers. It's meant to refine the concept rather than reinvent it.
Final Thoughts on ABCs of Death 2
ABCs of Death 2 isn't for everyone β and it knows it. What it is, though, is honest about what it wants to do: deliver 26 different takes on death and transgression from filmmakers who aren't interested in playing it safe. If you're the kind of viewer who wants horror that challenges rather than comforts, who's curious about what happens when you give talented directors total creative freedom within a strict conceptual framework, then this film has something for you. It's messy, uneven, and occasionally brilliant. That's not a bug. That's the feature.
