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Dead Mail

Play trailer 1:20 Poster for Dead Mail 2024 1h 46m Horror Mystery & Thriller Crime Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
93% Tomatometer 30 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
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. When Trent unexpectedly shows up at Jasper's office, it becomes clear he has a vested interest in the note, and will stop at nothing to retrieve it....
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Dead Mail

Dead Mail

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Critics Consensus

Punching above its limited budget's weight with an intriguing hook and inventive style, Dead Mail is a polished thriller that audiences won't be returning to sender.

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Critics Reviews

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Dennis Harvey Variety An effective, twisty thriller with a singular edge of off-kilter black comedy. Apr 18, 2025 Full Review Jordan Hoffman Fangoria There’s some nice packaging to this low-budget project, but the box is a little empty. Apr 18, 2025 Full Review Katie Rife RogerEbert.com Great care is given to aesthetics, and period detail; what’s accomplished visually on (one assumes) a limited budget is remarkable. Rated: 3/4 Apr 18, 2025 Full Review Tom Atkinson Flickering Myth In a landscape saturated with formula, Dead Mail feels bracingly singular. A modest triumph, posted first class straight to the heart. May 2, 2025 Full Review Sarah Vincent Sarah G Vincent Views Willing to risk their lives, government workers go above and beyond to care about their work, their coworkers and strangers in this timely heroic tale. Apr 22, 2025 Full Review Cheryl Eddy io9.com It’s rare to see a movie with such a carefully considered point of view and style that it doesn’t remind you of anything you’ve seen before. Apr 21, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (20) audience reviews
Judson E Really well done movie, I wish more films were produced like this, particularly the gritty feel it has. Gritty camera work, great acting and really good story, no character in this movie is wasted. Although you can kinda see where everything is going with the plot but its a really well made film, so it's fun to watch. Again the acting is great, the antagonist is intense and crazy. Watch it on shudder. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/01/25 Full Review Claudio C Dead Mail (2024) Another Great Movie by Shudder (11,715 –24 May 2025 – by Claudio Carvalho) In the 80’s, an Afro-American man crawls to a mailbox in an isolated area to put a message inside asking for help. In one Mail Distribution Center in Illinois, Ann (Micki Jackson) and Bess (Susan Priver) check the dead mail, correcting Zip codes and other minor mistakes. When Ann finds the note, she delivers it to Jasper (Tomas Boykin), an expert in charge of finding addresses and other difficult tasks, despite the objections of the obnoxious Brooks (Sean Heyman). They do not know that Jasper contacts his friend, the computer hacker Renée (Nick Heyman), to help him with the research. On the next morning, Jasper is attacked and murdered while talking to Renée by a man looking for the note. A few weeks ago, the man that killed Jasper named Trent (John Fleck) is a computer engineer that meets the brilliant keyboard technician Josh (Sterling Macer Jr.), who is the man who posted the note, in an exposition and invites him for a partnership. Josh develops a new keyboard, and a Japanese company invites him to move to Japan and works with them. When Trent, who is a psychopath obsessed by synthesizers, finds that Josh will leave USA to go to Japan, he abducts and chains the man inside the house. Meanwhile, Renée, Ann and Besse are investigating who murdered their friend Josh since they do not accept the police version that Books killed Jasper. “Dead Mail” (2024) is another great movie by Shudder, with a mysterious and suspenseful fictional story. The production is very careful since the story takes place in the 80’s, using analogical equipment and shot in slightly faded color with grainy texture. The non-chronological screenplay keeps the mystery to the viewer until the ending, and the fate of each character in the credits gives the sensation of a true story, but it is not. My vote is seven. Title (Brazil): Not Available My Blog: https://maniacosporfilme.wordpress.com/ Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/25/25 Full Review Brent G Saw if Jigsaw was obsessed with synthesizers. It’s fine. Story leaves a lot to be desired, but the 80’s aesthetics and feel is really wonderful. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 05/20/25 Full Review Kristine R OK, I don't know who needs to hear this, but movies set in the 80s don't have to look like they were MADE in the 80s. It's getting a little old. That said, this is an engaging and decently made psycho-thriller with a unique plot for those who have the patience for it. Some will appreciate the nostalgic 80s vibe, while others are going to wish they could return to sender. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/17/25 Full Review Aldis H Strange mix of what people would call a strong 80s aesthetic, which I'm completely sick of, and some super amateurish writing. Whoever wrote this knows nothing about synthesizers, and the narrative is uneven and mostly unaffecting, with some stinker dialogue. How this gets good reviews is beyond me. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 05/13/25 Full Review Scott M This movie made me extremely uncomfortable, and I mean that as the highest of compliments. It’s not a horror movie in the traditional sense, but more of a twisted thriller that bleeds into horror territory simply by virtue of how deeply disturbing and creepy it is throughout. The film is permeated with an unsettling, disorienting vibe, conveyed through its camerawork, soundtrack, and ever-so-slightly off-kilter acting, that makes your skin crawl, even during its most innocuous scenes. The retro, lo-fi aesthetic only adds to the unease, lending the entire film a nightmarish surreality rarely found in modern horror. While it may prove too unpleasant or sadistic for casual viewers, genre enthusiasts will find plenty to appreciate in Dead Mail. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/09/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Dead Mail

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Movie Info

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 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. When Trent unexpectedly shows up at Jasper's office, it becomes clear he has a vested interest in the note, and will stop at nothing to retrieve it....
Director
Joe DeBoer, Kyle McConaghy
Producer
Zachary Weil, Brett Arndt
Screenwriter
Joe DeBoer, Kyle McConaghy
Distributor
Shudder
Production Co
Alarmist Entertainment, Contact Light Films
Genre
Horror, Mystery & Thriller, Crime
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 18, 2025
Runtime
1h 46m
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