Dead Mail

Pretty standard indie fare. Acting, cinematography, and dialogue all are hit-and-miss, hitting more than missing. There are some plot holes, but nothing that really degrades the movie. I have no idea why the type of epoxy would affect sound quality. Even from a heat dissipation aspect, there wouldn't be such a thing as "good epoxy", since modeling epoxy would be different from electronics epoxy. Normally only nerds like me would think about this, except that they bring it up like 10 times for whatever reason.

Around half the movie is spent on the actual kidnapping. While the kidnapping part IS actually creative, it's not creative in an interesting way. There's a few points where it seems the movie is going to pull a Saw, but then it just ends the scene. The rest of the movie is the post office stuff, which once again is creative but not all that interesting.

It's FAR from the worst indie movie I've seen, but it lacks the creativity and execution of say, a Benson & Moorhead movie. Overall it just feels like a good idea that suffers from inexperienced writers. DeBoer and McConaghy are probably worth keeping an eye on, but Dead Mail is something you'll watch mildly entertained, and forget the following day.

I enjoyed this movie despite the absurdity of the plot. Some people have complained about the acting but I saw nothing wrong with it. The actors playing Trent and Jasper were especially strong. This is one of those plots where seemingly insignificant details come together at the climax, and no loose ends were left dangling. The cinematography and look of the film fit the vibe perfectly, giving it a retro 80's feel. I understand that a lot of people will find this movie slow and boring, but I was interested throughout. Give it a shot, you'll know in the first 20 minutes if you want to consider watching or not.

I recently watched Dead Mail (2024) on Shudder. The story centers on a mysterious piece of mail with no address that arrives at a small-town post office for investigation. A strange man soon shows up, determined to retrieve the letter-by any means necessary. The plot then rewinds, tracing the origins of the message and revealing why it's so important to him.

Co-written and co-directed by Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy-who previously collaborated on Bab-the film stars Sterling Macer Jr. (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story), John Fleck (Waterworld), Micki Jackson (Drumline: A New Beat), and Tomas Boykin (The Munsters).

I really enjoyed watching this concept unfold. The premise felt fresh, and the cinematography had a gritty, grindhouse quality at times. The acting was excellent, with strong and authentic performances throughout. The villain is particularly well-crafted-menacing and manipulative in just the right ways. The violence is sharp, sudden, and suits the characters' motivations. In some ways, it reminded me of The Gift.

Overall, Dead Mail is a solid addition to the horror genre, with enough originality to keep you engaged. I'd rate it a 6.5-7/10 and recommend checking it out at least once.

I get that people want to give this flick medium ratings because it is very much a niche indie film that isn't for everyone. But I think objectively as a horror fan Dead Mail deserves props for various elements, ranging from the grainy realistic 1980s atmosphere (and weirdly accurate details like those big buckets of cheap Neapolitan ice cream) to the truly original plot points about sound engineering in the late 20th century and nerdy info on how cool and sleuthlike dead mail was prior to the world wide web.

I also think that the writers/director did their research on serial killers such as Richard Ramirez frequenting a low-income shelter for men during his murder spree, and Jeff Dahmer with his predilection for victimizing poor black males that he justified with his disturbed inability to form healthy gay relationships.

This was an intriguing thriller. I feel like it plays better for people that like unique films that tell a story differently. Yes a case could be made that it is "slow" as in we get a story laid out for us. I know, crazy idea.

The way the editing works in this film, is truly one of the highlights, second only to the music that sets the whole world alight. It doesn't tell the story in a linear fashion, and you get the chance to meet some characters and the movie shifts. That's when some of the cool edits happen; my favorite example is to show the passage of time there is a nifty little cut that makes a great transition.

The story unfolds at its own pace. It is telling the story and it wants you to get cozy with the characters and the world. There is that nostalgia filter that plays very well and doesn't get annoying or otherwise feel like an annoying addition to make a film fit the whole nostalgic feel that you see so often in these newer movies and shows.

Like another person said, you really do feel like you are in the 80's. It doesn't feel like a gimmick, but more of a memory you are thinking back on, almost like you would remember your house from your childhood.

I am a big fan of music, and I have been very much in love with the lofi and ambient style 80's synth music. I was a new wave fan, I still am, but I was then too. It is unique and really acts almost like the flute that hypnotized all the villages children. It feels like the world from your past, and the music keeps you tucked in this trance as you follow the rabbit down a tale of loneliness and not smart choices. It is haunting in a way, but it isn't an intense horror movie by any means. It is more or less a character driven thriller.

If you want something that plays different from most attempts at film these days, while at the same time having somethings you've enjoyed before told in a different way. I get saying it is like the King story, and I see that, but at the same time I think it does it's own thing more than that.

I enjoy nontraditional story telling and having the suspension of disbelief being easier to maintain because you don't see stupid choices or hear stupid unoriginal dialogue constantly.

My one complaint is there was a choice made, and it was a stupid choice at that, and it does feel like that the sole purpose to propel the story in a certain direction. It feels a little cheap and dumb, but putting that aside, everything else was solid about the film. Then there is the whole part at the end where you find out it seems to have been based on a true story. Usually studio execs love to force it down your throat that "BASED ON TRUE EVENTS!!!!!!!!" type of thing. Nope. This movie let that stuff slip in there like a ninja so that the shock is a bit more true.