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First, there was HBO bringing superb programming to cable, then the legacy expanded to streaming on HBO Max, and now, just Max is keeping up the reputation for having some of the best shows on television. Programs like the mobster drama "The Sopranos," the brutal fantasy series "Game of Thrones," and the political satire "Veep"  not only stand out as great TV, but during their time, they were able to seep into the cultural zeigeist in a way that few are capable of achieving. But it's precisely because of this fact that viewers of Max have been spoiled for choice, meaning a number of shows on the network have somehow fallen through the cracks. 

Whether they failed to find an audience that connected with them the way they deserved, were cancelled too early, or were narratively or stylistically ahead of their time, these Max shows are of high quality but lack the reputation to match.

Set in the 1980s, “Dead Mail” (2024) is a creepy yet captivating horror-thriller that revolves around a help note that arrives at a post office. It leads a few people to investigate its origins and uncover a potential culprit and a crime. Despite limited settings and characters, the film becomes unnerving as it explores the grimmest corners of the human psyche. Joe DeBoerKyle and Kyle McConaghy have written and directed this film, which has made its rounds through many horror film festivals and has also been a part of SXSW and TIFF. It finally started streaming on Shudder in April 2025. Let’s dive into what actually happens in the film to understand the motives and fate of its characters.

Spoilers Ahead

Dead Mail (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:

‘Dead Mail” on Shudder is a crime horror-thriller that mainly revolves around three characters: a dead mail investigator, a keyboard technician, and a synthesizer...

Note: This review was originally published as part of our 2024 SXSW coverage. Dead Mail is now on Shudder.

Blending found footage and what appears to be grainy 16mm (they shot the film on an early Dv as a matter of fact), Kyle McConaghy and Joe DeBoer’s Dead Mail embraces the creepiness of its concept. Like Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow or Kyle Edward Ball’s Skinamarink, this is the stuff of subconscious nightmares, though Dead Mail falls slightly more into the slasher camp. The film is effectively creepy from the feeling that––à la Harmony Korine’s Trash Humpers––it’s a relic of the past. Also, like Schoenbrun’s film, it suggests a story that could have been imagined from a 20/20 segment or a late-night documentary that a child should not have watched after their bedtime but nevertheless did.

Dead Mail delivers something original, playing its horror down the line,...

"Tell me what delights you..." Shudder has revealed their official trailer for the wacky, grainy indie horror film titled Dead Mail, created by Midwest filmmakers Joe DeBoer & Kyle McConaghy. This first premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival a year ago (here's the festival teaser), and it also played at TIFF, FrightFest, Screamfest, Grimmfest, Night Visions, and the Splat!FilmFest last year. After a great fest run, it's ready for streaming on Shudder later in April. An ominous, bloody help note finds its way to the desk of a seasoned dead letter investigator at a 1980’s midwestern post office. As he begins to piece together the letter’s origins, it leads him down a violent, unforeseen path to a kidnapped keyboard engineer and his eccentric business associate. The film features Sterling Macer, Jr., John Fleck, Susan Priver, Micki Jackson, Tomas Boykin, and Nick Heyman. Reviews from fests have been quite positive:...

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If you are a horror fan, then there is a big chance that you might have heard about the horror streaming service Shudder, and if you have its subscription, you might be wondering what’s in store for you in April 2025. Don’t worry. There is a host of new and old horror movies coming to the service in the upcoming month, and we have listed the 10 best movies coming to Shudder in April 2025.

Fright Night (April 1) Credit – Columbia Pictures

Fright Night is a supernatural horror film written and directed by Tom Holland. The 1985 film follows a teenager who knows that his next-door neighbour is a vampire, but when he tells people, nobody believes. So, he asks for assistance from a has-been horror film actor. Fright Night stars Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Stephen Geoffreys, and Roddy McDowall.

Dead Mail: "Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thrillers and the supernatural, today released the trailer and poster for ‘80s Midwest horror thriller Dead Mail from directors Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy. The highly anticipated film, which made its world premiere at the 2024 SXSW Festival, stars Sterling Macer Jr., John Fleck, Susan Piver, Micki Jackson, Tomas Boykin and Nick Heyman. On the heels of its immensely successful festival run which included being selected at Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness Section, Sitges Film Festival and Brooklyn Horror Fest, Dead Mail will make its exclusive streaming debut April 18 on Shudder as part of the streamer’s annual Halfway to Halloween celebration.

On a desolate, Midwestern county road, a bound man crawls towards a remote postal box, managing to slide a blood-stained plea-for-help message into the slot before a panicking figure closes in behind him. The note makes its way to the desk of Jasper,...

Have you ever wondered what happens when your letter gets lost in the mail? Did you know there are dead letter investigators? At least, there are in Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy‘s 80s-inspired film Dead Mail, which makes its exclusive streaming debut this April on Shudder! To celebrate the announcement, Shudder released a new trailer and poster for the film. Check them out below!

Read the film’s full synopsis:

On a desolate, Midwestern county road, a bound man crawls towards a remote postal box, managing to slide a blood-stained plea-for-help message into the slot before a panicking figure closes in behind him. The note makes its way to the desk of Jasper, a seasoned ‘dead letter’ investigator at a 1980s midwestern post office. As he begins to piece together the letter’s origins, it leads him down a violent, unforeseen path to a kidnapped keyboard engineer and his eccentric business associate.

From the producers of Barbarian and Late Night with the Devil, open the trailer for Dead Mail below.

Written and directed by Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy, the ’80s-set thriller streams April 18 on Shudder.

On a desolate, Midwestern county road, a bound man crawls towards a remote postal box, managing to slide a blood-stained plea-for-help message into the slot before a panicking figure closes in behind him.

The note makes its way to the desk of Jasper, a seasoned ‘dead letter’ investigator at a 1980s midwestern post office. As he begins to piece together the letter’s origins, it leads him down a violent, unforeseen path to a kidnapped keyboard engineer and his eccentric business associate.

Sterling Macer Jr., John Fleck, Susan Piver, Micki Jackson, Tomas Boykin, and Nick Heyman star.

Zachary Weil and Brett Arndt produce, with Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Adam Goldworm, and Susan Priver serving as executive producers.

Shudder has announced today that they’ve acquired the lo-fi ’80s Midwest horror thriller Dead Mail from directors Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy. The news comes with a Spring release date as part of Shudder’s Halfway-to-Halloween celebrations.

Dead Mail is set to premiere on Shudder on April 18, 2025.

In the film, “On a desolate, Midwestern county road, a bound man crawls towards a remote postal box, managing to slide a blood-stained plea-for-help message into the slot before a panicking figure closes in behind him. The note makes its way to the desk of Jasper, a seasoned ‘dead letter’ investigator at a 1980s midwestern post office. As he begins to piece together the letter’s origins, it leads him down a violent, unforeseen path to a kidnapped keyboard engineer and his eccentric business associate.”

Sterling Macer Jr., John Fleck, Susan Piver, Micki Jackson, Tomas Boykin, and Nick Heyman star.

DeBoer and McConaghy said,...

Exclusive: Dead Mail, an acclaimed ’80s Midwest horror thriller from writer-directors Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy, is set to make its exclusive streaming debut on Shudder as part of the streamer’s annual Halfway to Halloween celebration on April 18.

The film hits streaming following a successful festival run that began with its world premiere at SXSW 2024, also featuring stops at the Sitges Film Festival, Brooklyn Horror Fest and others. Its plot is thrust into motion on a desolate, Midwestern county road, as a bound man crawls towards a remote postal box, managing to slide a blood-stained plea-for-help message into the slot before a panicking figure closes in behind him. The note makes its way to the desk of Jasper, a seasoned ‘dead letter’ investigator at a 1980s midwestern post office. And as Jasper begins to piece together the letter’s origins, it leads him down a violent, unforeseen path to...

Yellow Veil Pictures has come on board to represent international sales on the horror Dead Mail and will kick off talks at EFM in Berlin next week.

Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy’s film premiered at 2024 SXSW and went on to screen at Frightfest and TIFF Midnight Madness.

Set in the 1980s Midwest, Dead Mail centres on an ominous, bloody help note that finds its way to the desk of a seasoned dead letter investigator at a post office.

As he begins to piece together the letter’s origins, it leads him down a violent path where he encounters a...

Japanese author Haruki Murakami is a celebrated writer of essays, short stories, and novels that have enchanted readers around the world, and the work of Murakami has inspired not only avid bookworms but filmmakers as well. Since the 1980s, both shorts and featured films have been made from his books. Titles like Norwegian Wood, The Elephant Vanishes, and the three novels that make up the Trilogy of the Rat have had such a big influence on Japanese literature that it seems only right these humanist stories would be brought to life on the screen.

With 10 adaptations so far, the best Murakami movies have succeeded in captivating even the most die-hard fans of the acclaimed author. Of course, being notoriously difficult to make, some movie adaptations are better than others. Murakami’s work in particular can be a challenge, with its use of abstract themes and often poetic prose. While some...

Nick Frost has been honoured with the achievement in genre cinema award by the UK’s Grimmfest festival in Manchester.

The actor received the award for his work in films including Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz and The Worlds End - otherwise known as the ’Cornetto Trilogy’ - as well as his latest work in Black Cab which opened Grimmfest as a world premiere.

Scroll down for full list of winners

Taking home the prize for best film was Vardan Tozija’s M. The dystopian sci-fi hails from North Macedonia and follows a young boy who travels alone in...

Nick Frost was honoured with the achievement in genre cinema award at the UK’s Grimmfest festival in Manchester.

The actor received the award for his work in films like Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz and The Worlds End - otherwise known as the ’Cornetto Trilogy’ - as well as his latest work in Black Cab which opened Grimmfest as a world premiere.

Scroll down for full list of winners

Taking home the prize for best film was Vardan Tozija’s M. The dystopian sci-fi hails from North Macedonia and follows a young boy who travels alone in the...

Star Trek: Enterprise's Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) breaking Star Trek rules by making mistakes made him great. Enterprise was the first Star Trek prequel series, and it was a retcon that established Archer and his starship, Enterprise Nx-01, as the pioneers who predated the voyages of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) in Star Trek: The Original Series by over a century. Enterprise's retcon also established Subcommander T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) as the Enterprise's first Vulcan Science Officer, predating Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy).

One of the goals of Star Trek: Enterprise's creators, Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, was to break away from the many tropes they established in Star Trek: The Next Generation and its 24th century-set spinoffs. Because Enterprise takes place in the 22nd century, Captain Archer and his crew are not Utopians like future Starfleet crews. Indeed, Archer's inaugural mission in Enterprise's series premiere, "Broken Bow,...

The dark and atmospheric thriller Dead Mail is set to make its Northern UK debut at Grimmfest, Manchester’s renowned festival for genre cinema. Directed by Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy, the 1980s-set film takes viewers on a gripping journey through a Midwest post office where a simple blood-stained note triggers a chain of violent and unexpected events. The screening will take place at the Odeon Great Northern on 3rd October, as part of Grimmfest’s 2024 line-up, showcasing the best in new horror and thriller films from around the world.

Dead Mail follows Jasper, a seasoned dead letter investigator, whose job involves tracing and returning lost mail to its sender. When a cryptic and bloody plea for help lands on his desk, Jasper is drawn into a chilling mystery that takes him to Trent, an unassuming yet strange resident of the men’s home where Jasper lives. What begins as...

The 25th edition of the Pigeon Shrine FrightFest promises to be an unforgettable celebration of horror cinema, taking place between 22 August to 26 August 2024.

It’s hard to comprehend just how many films will be on offer to see at this fantastic event, so we have broken down each of the screens into articles for you to digest. And we may have saved the best (this one) until last!

We have already detailed what will be on offer in Discovery Screen 1, Discovery Screen 2 and Discovery Screen 3 across the long weekend.

Now it’s time to read about the final list of films on offer, detailed below. Read on for the film programme for the Main Screen, at the Cineworld, Leicester Square.

Pigeon Shrine FrightFest 2024 – Main Screen Thursday, 22 August 2024

5:30 Pm – Opening Film: Broken Bird (World Premiere) Directed by Joanne Mitchell and starring Rebecca Calder, James Fleet, Jay Taylor, and Sacharissa Claxton,...

Warning: Contains Spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery's finale, "Life, Itself".

Discovery's finale revealed Dr. Kovich was an older version of Crewman Daniels, linking the show to Enterprise. Kovich's true identity as Daniels reaffirms strong links between Discovery and Enterprise. The reveal opens up the possibility of future appearances by David Cronenberg in the Star Trek franchise.

Star Trek: Discovery's finale revealed that the enigmatic Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg) was an older version of Crewman Daniels (Matt Winston), so who was Star Trek: Enterprise's time traveler? Since the USS Discovery arrived in the 32nd century, they've occasionally come under Dr. Kovich's jurisdiction, most notably during season 5's hunt for the Progenitors' technology. Kovich has always been an enigmatic figure, leading many to question the Federation scientist's motivations in Star Trek: Discovery seasons 3 to 5. As a reward for successfully completing her Red Directive mission, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green...

Warning: Spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery's Series Finale - "Life, Itself"

Doctor Kovich's true identity as Agent Daniels connects Star Trek: Discovery to Enterprise in a jaw-dropping twist. Kovich's office is filled with Star Trek memorabilia, hinting at his long life and deep ties to the Federation across centuries. Discovery's creative team decided early in season 4 that Kovich is Daniels, planting subtle clues leading up to the big reveal in season 5.

Star Trek: Discovery's series finale dropped a bombshell twist, revealing the true identity of Doctor Kovich (David Cronenberg) that ties the series back to Star Trek: Enterprise and Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula). Written by Kyle Jarrow and Michelle Paradise, and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, Star Trek: Discovery's series finale, "Life, Itself", saw Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) find and decide the fate of the ancient technology used by the Progenitors to create life, itself.

The Overlook Film Fest 2024 edition, taking place April 4 – April 7 in New Orleans, Louisiana, just announced even more additions to their already packed lineup, including the Nicolas Cage-starring creature feature Arcadian.

“With the full scope of this year’s lineup, we’re thrilled to be able to recognize all of the many forms horror can take,” said Lisa Carbonari, festival director of The Overlook Film Festival. “We’re diving headfirst into the dark and twisted, through the films, immersive presentations, interactive exhibits, themed parties and even sensory experiences. We can’t wait to get together with our fellow horror-lovers and celebrate all of the different ways we enjoy being scared.”

The new additions to the lineup bring the festival total to 52 films (28 features and 24 shorts) from 11 countries, as well as four live presentations, six immersive experiences and six special events.

While you can read up on the previously announced lineup here,...

Writers/Directors Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy’s lo-fi ’80s psychological thriller, Dead Mail, anchors its offbeat story, characters, and retro style around profound loneliness. Bloody Disgusting spoke with the filmmakers along with stars Sterling Macer Jr. and John Fleck at SXSW, where the film made its world premiere, about their unique approach to the genre-bender.

Dead Mail leans heavily into the ’80s analog aesthetic, delivering a unique crime thriller unafraid to get weird with its dark narrative.

In the film, “On a desolate, Midwestern county road, a bound man crawls towards a remote postal box, managing to slide a blood-stained plea-for-help message into the slot before a panicking figure closes in behind him. The note makes its way to the county post office and onto the desk of Jasper, a seasoned and skilled ‘dead letter’ investigator, responsible for investigating lost mail and returning it to its sender. As he investigates further,...

Obsession and profound loneliness drive writers/directors Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy’s lo-fi psychological thriller, Dead Mail. On paper, the premise reads like a familiar crime tale, yet the filmmakers’ execution quickly proves Dead Mail to be anything but conventional. A reinvention of the ‘80s aesthetic, a deft genre blend, and intimate empathy afforded to all of its unique characters make this retro form experiment a fascinating watch.

A bound and bloody man, Josh (Sterling Macer Jr.), manages to crawl out of a house on an empty Illinois street and shove a bloodied letter into the mailbox before his captor drags him kicking and screaming back inside. That letter finds its way to the desk of post office worker Jasper (Tomas Boykin), a skilled investigator of “dead mail.” Jasper’s investigation of the letter coincides with the arrival of Trent (John Fleck) at the men’s center where he resides,...

"The one to strike fear is the man who is alone." An early festival promo teaser has debuted for the indie horror thriller film titled Dead Mail, the second feature from indie genre filmmakers Joe DeBoer & Kyle McConaghy (also of Bab in 2020). This is premiering at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival soon and this trailer will give genre fans an early look at what's going down in this. Though all of this footage just makes me even more confused - who is this guy and why is he chained up in this room?! An ominous help note finds its way to a 1980s post office, connecting a dead letter investigator to a kidnapped keyboard technician. As Jasper investigates further, he meets Trent, a strange yet unassuming man who has taken up residence at the men’s home where Jasper lives and has an interest in this letter. The indie film stars Sterling Macer, Jr.,...

One of the genre films we’re looking forward to checking out at SXSW this year is Dead Mail, written and directed by Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy and premiering on March 9.

A new teaser and key art has debuted ahead of the fest, giving a closer look at the ’80s analog aesthetic.

In the SXSW 2024 horror film…

“On a desolate, Midwestern county road, a bound man crawls towards a remote postal box, managing to slide a blood-stained plea-for-help message into the slot before a panicking figure closes in behind him. The note makes its way to the county post office and onto the desk of Jasper, a seasoned and skilled “dead letter” investigator, responsible for investigating lost mail and returning it to its sender. As he investigates further, Jasper meets Trent, a strange yet unassuming man who has taken up residence at the men’s home where Jasper lives.

Dead Mail at SXSW brings back '80s horror vibes with a nod to influential filmmakers like William Friedkin and David Cronenberg. The film is their own, but directors Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy say they were influenced by classics like Cruising and The Brood, presenting a grainy retro aesthetic in Dead Mail. Catch the world premiere of this thrilling psychological experience on March 9 at Violet Crown 2 during SXSW!

South by Southwest is back, baby! These days, the acclaimed annual festival extends far beyond the hit music scene, which has welcomed countless award-winning performers. Among the highly anticipated films at the SXSW festival in 2024, for example, is Dead Mail. Yes, the eerie title is meant as a funny and spooky double entendre. The new psychological thriller offers a gloriously retro look at a certain iconic decade known as the 1980s, with a twisty little storyline about a heroic postal service...

If there’s one thing you don’t want to do, it’s mess with the postal service - a lesson that John Fleck’s (Waterworld) sociopathic character in Dead Mail is about to learn the hard way. An exclusive to Collider trailer for the Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy-helmed feature reveals one man’s mission to escape his insane and torturous captor with the help of a letter and the trust that someone, somewhere will be able to help him. Starring Where the Crawdads Sing and Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story’s Sterling Macer Jr., the film, which will celebrate its premiere at SXSW, adds a special twist to the held captive section of the horror genre.

One of the genre films we’re looking forward to checking out at SXSW this year is Dead Mail, written and directed by Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy and premiering on March 9.

Meagan Navarro will be reviewing Dead Mail for Bloody Disgusting as part of her SXSW coverage, and she writes in her preview for the upcoming fest: “Dead Mail leans heavily into the ’80s analog aesthetic, delivering a unique crime thriller unafraid to get offbeat with its dark narrative. Expect its characters to be as atypical as Dead Mail‘s sense of style.”

In the SXSW 2024 horror film…

“On a desolate, Midwestern county road, a bound man crawls towards a remote postal box, managing to slide a blood-stained plea-for-help message into the slot before a panicking figure closes in behind him. The note makes its way to the county post office and onto the desk of Jasper, a seasoned and skilled “dead letter” investigator,...

The latest edition of the SXSW Film Festival kicks off later this week in Austin, Texas, unleashing an expansive slate of film programming an experiences- emphasis on expansive. For the horror fan, the fest offers so much more beyond the Midnighter programming section, and this SXSW 2024 preview guide should help.

The 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival’s Opening Night TV Premiere is the highly anticipated Netflix series 3 Body Problem created, executive produced and written by Emmy Award winners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and Emmy Award nominee Alexander Woo. The Midnighter category includes buzzy titles like Samara Weaving-starring Azrael and Sundance favorite It’s What’s Inside. The fest’s Headliner section comes packed with highly anticipated titles like Immaculate, Cuckoo, and Arcadian. But all of this only scratches the surface of titles to get excited about.

Whether you’re heading to Austin this week or keeping track...

With the premiere of HBO’s Looking still over a week away, this is the perfect time to remember another TV series about a group of gay (and straight) friends in San Francisco. It was 20 years ago today that Tales Of the City made its American television debut.

Based on the newspaper column–later book series–by Armistead Maupin, Tales centers around a found family living together in a boarding house at 28 Barbary Lane. Tenants include Mary Anne Singleton, a naive girl fresh off the bus from Cleveland, Michael “Mouse” Tolliver, a gay emigré from Florida, his best friend Mona Ramsey, a frustrated feminist copywriter, and Brian Hawkins, a leftie lawyer who dropped out and became a waiter. They all live under the eye of enigmatic landlady Anna Madrigal. Tales stars Laura Linney as Mary Anne, Marcus D’Amico as Mouse, Chloe Webb as Mona, Paul Gross as Brian and Olympia Dukakis as Mrs.

After every third season of Weeds, creator Jenji Kohan decides to take her beloved series into a new direction. In the Weeds Season 7 premiere, Kohan took her characters three years forward and in less than thirty minutes wiped the slate clean of all past transgressions.

Esteban is dead. The Pilar Zuazo and cartel investigation has been closed thanks to Nancy Botwin’s (Mary-Louise Parker) cooperation. Now, that Nancy has no need for witness protection, Agent Lipschitz (John Fleck) has pulled a few strings to allow Nancy to spend the rest of her jail sentence in a halfway house. In the past three years, Lipschitz apparently made his career thanks to Nancy’s help. So an early release was his way of saying thanks. Inmate #81426-370 – Botwin, N. – has been freed.

As for the Botwin boys, Andy (Justin Kirk), Silas (Hunter Parrish) and Shane (Alexander Gould) have been spending the past few years in Copenhagen,...