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.

Don't know what it is with some of these reviews they could'nt have been watching the same movie .This movie was alright i thought definetly an indie movie and i actually thought that this was an 80's movie because they seemed pretty accurate with the 80's synths and the general look of the film etc. I thought it was quite original .Took me a while to grasp the concept because the movie is told in flash back i thought that it was clever how the whole movie comes together. The acting was'nt that groundbreaking except for maybe the actor who played the kidnapper he was pretty good . Overall i thought the movie was pretty good definetly worth a look.

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.

Dead Mail (2024): Another Neo-Noir thriller which trespasses on horror territory. Shot in grainy slightly faded colour it gives us the feel of it's 1980's setting. Though the actors play their roles straight, a Coenesque line of humour runs through the film, just about strong enough to leaven the dark horror and violence which also permeates Dead Mail. Jasper (Tomas Boykin) is a dead mail agent, he can track down correct addresses from arcane pieces of information, checking with the weather bureau or if all else fails an overseas hacker friend. Coming across a blood stained scrap of paper supposedly from a kidnapped man Jasper gets cracking. We already know from the opening scene that the "letter" is genuine. The kidnapper breaks into the post office and attacks Jasper. We then flashback to how the kidnapper met up with his victim. A tale of compering synthesizer designers. Unrequited love and a touch of Killing for Company as the kidnapper does have a Dennis Nilsen vibe about him. The dark comedy of the film is what sets it apart from more mundane thrillers along with taut direction and a clever script which makes all the twists and turns make sense. You'll gasp, laugh and maybe cry but I reckon in the end you'll agree that this is a good Noir/Psychological Horror movie. Directed and Written by Kyle McConaghy and Joe DeBoer. 8/10.

What a pleasant surprise ! A movie that isn't dumbed down with moronic situations, comic book characters or 20something know-it-alls!

We instead get an interesting, compelling and suspenseful movie that really felt like something from the 70s or 80s. A movie featuring adults! Very cool!

The characters were well drawn and acted and the direction and photography are beyond reproach. Unlike many movies that are set in decades past, this mostly felt like it was from the early 80s. Late 70s if truth be told.

I love the synthesizer storyline. The synth patches they were working on were great and sounded fantastic! The woodwind was gorgeous and all the music on the soundtrack was just perfect.

Al told this was an absorbing little thriller that I quite enjoyed.