The ABCs of Death

Released Mar 8, 2013

2h 3m

Horror

List

38%

68 Reviews

Tomatometer

23%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

An anthology of stories helmed by more than two dozen directors details 26 ways to die, each corresponding to a different letter of the alphabet.

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Premiered Aug 02

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Critics Consensus

As is often the case with anthology films, The ABCs of Death is wildly uneven, with several legitimately scary entries and a bunch more that miss the mark.

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Jean M

"The ABCs of Death" is a unique anthology film that explores mortality through a series of short, alphabetical segments, each representing a different method of death. However, I found the overall execution of this concept to be quite disappointing and, frankly, nauseating. The film's approach to depicting death ranges from the bizarre to the grotesque, with each segment directed by a different filmmaker. While some of these shorts are creative and thought-provoking, many others delve into gratuitous violence and shock value without much substance or purpose. One of the significant issues with "The ABCs of Death" is its inconsistency. The quality of the segments varies wildly, making it a jarring and disjointed viewing experience. Additionally, some shorts are so over-the-top in their attempts to shock that they become more laughable than disturbing. Moreover, the film's reliance on graphic content and shock tactics feels more exploitative than meaningful. It often crosses the line into tastelessness, leaving viewers with a sense of revulsion rather than introspection. Overall, "The ABCs of Death" is a disappointing attempt to explore profound themes through a unique storytelling format. While it may appeal to fans of extreme horror looking for a dose of shock, the film's lack of coherence and reliance on shock value makes it a forgettable and unpleasant watch for most viewers.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/15/24

Full Review

Emoji M

Glad I didn't rewatch this movie because yeah it's sucks so much.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/06/24

Full Review

Kaylee P

This ended up being very difficult to watch become of the direction several of these scenes went. While I enjoy horror as much as the next, a lot of taboo subjects (animals, children, etc) came into play that I'm not comfortable with. It was the first movie in a long time that I couldn't suffer through any longer. I know some don't mind that but honestly there is a limit in all forms of art. While the overall idea and creativity of including so many talented people for this project was a great idea, it just went too far.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/09/24

Full Review

The M

I see what the ABC's of death is trying to do and they had good intentions, but the movie has far too low budget, not meaning the film needed a $20 million budget that's for sure. But there are good episodes but they are far a few and the rest is just too over the top to enjoy. I can see where this movie made 21,000 in theaters..

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/07/24

Full Review

Jessica A

This was the worst movie I have ever seen I'd give it 0 stars if I could

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

12/13/23

Full Review

Flambe34

There are too many short films to review so here is my tier list of correct opinions https://imgur.com/a/oLIdo3n

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/12/23

Full Review

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Angela Bettis

Director

Hélène Cattet

Director

Ernesto Díaz Espinoza

Director

Jason Eisener

Director

Bruno Forzani

Director

Adrián García Bogliano

Director

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73%

39%

ABCs of Death 2

0%

32%

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Catherine Shoard

Guardian

It presents 26 disparate (read: in need of an editor) slices of dicing from 26 directors you've almost certainly never heard of (and indeed, the one you have - Ben Wheatley - feels tainted by association).

Rated: 2/5

Apr 25, 2013

Full Review

Rebecca Ellis

Little White Lies

The fans will love. The faint-hearted won't.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 25, 2013

Full Review

Nigel Floyd

Time Out

Gives a sense of horror movie making learned by rote - at a boy's school where girls have been admitted under sufferance.

Rated: 2/5

Apr 24, 2013

Full Review

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

The volume of shorts contained in this anthology set the film apart from its predecessors, as the audience doesn't have time to get bored with any shorts and the effective scenes will stick with them for quite some time.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 22, 2023

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

With each segment running at roughly five minutes in length, there's an inordinate amount of forgettable entries, but that's not to say it's not worth a look.

Jul 24, 2019

Full Review

Naila Scargill

Exquisite Terror

The real standout is "Dogfight" from Marcel Sarmiento, an unsettling piece that lingers longer than any other story here.

Feb 28, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

An anthology of stories helmed by more than two dozen directors details 26 ways to die, each corresponding to a different letter of the alphabet.

Director: Angela Bettis, Hélène Cattet, Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, Jason Eisener, Bruno Forzani, Adrián García Bogliano, Xavier Gens, Noboru Iguchi, Thomas Cappelen Malling, Jorge Michel Grau, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Simon Rumley, Marcel Sarmiento, Jon Schnepp, Srdjan Spasojevic, Timo Tjahjanto, Andrew Traucki, Nacho Vigalondo, Jake West
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Magnet Releasing
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 8, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 22, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $7.0K
Runtime: 2h 3m

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