Have you ever wondered what happens to letters that can't be delivered? Probably not, snail mail is a relic of the 80s along with other horrifying concepts such as fax machines, shoulder pads and permanent waves. The producers of Shudder's Late Night With the Devil deliver Dead Mail, a chilling study of obsession, possession, and captivity. What begins as a desperate letter dropped into a USPS mailbox soon spirals into a nightmare, with the Dead Letters team battling to locate a kidnap victim.
Written and directed by Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy, Dead Mail stars Sterling Macer Jr (Where the Crowdads Sing) as keyboard technician Josh; Tomas Boykin, Susan Priver and Micki Jackson as postal workers Jasper, Bess and Ann; and John Fleck as Trent.
For the love of horror
Dead Mail is one of those films that reminds me why I love horror and just how rich and varied the genre can be. It brims with retro 80s detail and is clever and well-crafted. It's an immersive experience, right down to the oversized wire-rimmed specs, keyboard synthesisers and touch-tone phones.
Writers and directors Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy make a genuine effort to flesh out both the plot and characters in Dead Mail. From street maps and encyclopaedias to shady Nordic data brokers, it captures the analogue limitations of pre-internet detective work perfectly. The atmosphere is pitch-perfect too, shot in a grainy, installation-style aesthetic that feels like it’s been dug out of a lost archive reel from 1980.
I always appreciate it when horror films feature an actual plot and motive. In Dead Mail, the antagonist isn’t just a shadowy menace; there’s a fully realised motive here, and an intriguing exploration of insecurity, rejection, and how obsession twists perception.
No cheap jump scares
The scares in Dead Mail are subtle yet potent; no cheap jump scares, just the slow, creeping dread of a story that feels as terrifyingly plausible today as it might have 45 years ago. This is balanced by an unexpectedly emotional arc as you piece together why Jasper lives in a men's home.
Dead Mail is buoyed by great performances throughout. Relative newcomer Micki Jackson shines in her role as the determined and observant Ann. But it’s John Fleck as Trent who truly lingers. Creepy, obsequious, and unnervingly genial, it's difficult not to truly hate him.
The best part about Dead Mail is the extremely satisfying ending and the faux-true-stories in the credits sequence. (If you're still wondering if Dead Mailis based on a true story, it's not. It's entirely a work of fiction, but the "where are they now" sequence was a lot of fun).
Minor historical nitpicks aside (the fax should’ve used thermal paper, and those phones are a bit too 1985), Dead Mail is a triumph of atmosphere, character, and storytelling.
I give Dead Mail an excellent four out of five stars. Directors Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy continue with the retro vibe they established in BAB (2020), and I hope to see them collaborate on more retro horror.
★★★★☆
