Dead Mail

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.

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.

Slow-burn thriller. It reminds me a little bit of the movie Misery. Minus the Misery's whit and lively dialogue. It's just dark and gritty. I liked it.

It has a dark, gritty film like look, uses synth sounds to create a creepy atmosphere...I'm sure I'm not artsy enough to get all the nuances in a casual watch but all of it together kept me watching.

The cast is small, sparse dialogue but that's part of its charm. It was fun to see them show their work a little with how they obtained info. Whereas today we have hackers and the internet to get us what we need.

The villain is an odd duck and I can't quite figure out his why but this movie has a beginning, a middle, a complete and satisfying end.

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.

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.