FILM REVIEW: Dead Mail (2024)
- Adam
- Apr 5
- 3 min read
Dead Mail - New Release Review
Director: Joe DeBoer, Kyle McConaghy
Starring: Sterling Macer Jr, John Fleck, Tomas Boykin, Susan Priver
Written by: Joe DeBoer, Kyle McConaghy
Produced by: Brett Arndt, Zachary Weil
Cinematography by: Joe DeBoer, Kyle McConaghy
Original Score by: Joe De Boer, Kyle McConaghy
Synopsis:
An ominous help note finds its way to a 1980s post office, connecting a dead letter investigator to a kidnapped keyboard technician.
Thoughts:
Is there anything worse than getting junk mail? Or a cold caller to the door? An invasion of privacy by something so innocent. Although, it could be worse...you could get chained up in an old man’s basement and be forced to live off crackers and soda for weeks on end until you work up the energy to make a brief escape to make a call for help. Hate when that happens. Of course, this is what happens to our main character Josh (Sterling Macer Jr) in the film, as he’s held captive by Trent (John Fleck), an eccentric older man who just seems to be looking for something more in life.
The thing you’ll immediately notice while watching 'Dead Mail' is its very off beat tone when it comes to its characters. I would compare it to something like 'Napolean Dynamite' mixed with 'Fargo'. American mid-west quirks with a sense of danger. If you can’t get on board with that tone, you might struggle with the film, but I absolutely ate it up. Every character immediately has something interesting about them and they are all played incredibly well by the actors. John Fleck’s Trent for example can be seen as a monster for his actions in the film, but Fleck’s sympathetic performance really draws you in and by the end, you end up feeling sorry for him. The same goes for Tomas Boykin’s performance as Jasper, who is as cool as a cucumber and could easily be a character straight out of a Tarantino film.
The film isn’t told in a chronological manner but it’s smart enough to plant seeds for what’s to come, especially things you would only notice on a second viewing. The film is also shot beautifully. Hats off to the directors/cinematographers Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy for going for a retro stripped down look, as it really helps sell the reality of the film. DeBoer and McConaghy clearly have an eye for good actors, as most of the cast aren’t big stars yet the acting quality is superb across the board and I feel like I’ll struggle to find a better film than this, at this budget, for the rest of the year.
There’s one thing I really loved about the film and it was its exploration of male friendship. Each male character has a male counterpart that they are really attached to and although the Josh/Trent relationship takes a sour turn, you can tell by the end that they had true love for each other whether that be romantic or platonic. It’s interesting to see a film approach this subject in such a subtle way. While the film would be classified as a horror (as it’s on Shudder), I wouldn’t go in expecting lots of scares. The film is more of a drama/thriller, and I feel that the title might be a bit misleading to some people expecting blood and guts.
'Dead Mail' is the surprise of the year for me so far. With fantastic performances, a well-structured screenplay and a cool laidback 70’s tone, it will definitely be going straight into my Top 10 of the year.
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½
-Adam Neeson
'Dead Mail' is available to stream on Shudder from April 18th
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