Obsession and profound loneliness drive writers/directors Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy’s lo-fi psychological thriller, Dead Mail. On paper, the premise reads like a familiar crime tale, yet the filmmakers’ execution quickly proves Dead Mail to be anything but conventional. A reinvention of the ‘80s aesthetic, a deft genre blend, and intimate empathy afforded to all of its unique characters make this retro form experiment a fascinating watch.
A bound and bloody man, Josh (Sterling Macer Jr.), manages to crawl out of a house on an empty Illinois street and shove a bloodied letter into the mailbox before his captor drags him kicking and screaming back inside. That letter finds its way to the dead of post office worker Jasper (Tomas Boykin), a skilled investigator of “dead mail.” Jasper’s investigation of the letter coincides with the arrival of Trent (John Fleck) at the men’s center where he resides, and it soon becomes apparent that Trent wants that letter at any cost.
DeBoer and McConaghy employ a unique, nonlinear narrative structure that begins with Josh’s captivity well underway before backtracking to its origins. It’s intercut by Jasper’s investigation and the camaraderie among his peers at the post office. The throughline connecting the three men is the loneliness among them. For Jasper and Josh, there’s a contentment or acceptance of their loner status. It’s Trent’s desperation for connection and an easement of loneliness that drives him to commit disturbing acts. Macer Jr. and Boykin infuse their characters with a peaceful solitude and dedication to their craft that earns easy rooting interest for both Josh and Jasper. Fleck makes easy work of earning sympathy for his devil.
The grainy lo-fi aesthetic, combined with the synth heavy score and sound design, not only lends an authenticity but also supports the offbeat tone made all the stranger by its eclectic characters. The analog component further paints the nondescript Midwestern setting as if it were a vastly different, singular world.
As part of the form experimentation, Dead Mail defies easy categorization. DeBoer and McConaghy dabble in a bit of everything, from off-kilter indie drama to psychological and crime thriller with touches of dread-inducing horror. The filmmakers also know when to interject levity into its sorrowful depiction of imposter syndrome and broken loneliness. It’s a movie admirably marching to its own beat, immersing viewers in a wholly unique vision of the ‘80s Midwest.
Despite the simplicity of the plot, Dead Mail becomes far more complex through its character work and experimental form. There’s a tactile, lived-in quality to this strange version of the decade and its inhabitants that makes for a fascinating watch, even when a subdued quality to the first half can sometimes make it tricky to stay on the film’s distinct wavelength.
Dead Mail builds to a deeply satisfying conclusion, with supporting players Susan Priver and Micki Jackson driving up the intensity in a final confrontation when the stakes are at their most dire. Its horror components are light, but for genre fans looking for something off the beaten path with an impressive craft on display and challenging ideas, Dead Mail is worth opening.
Dead Mail made its world premiere at SXSW.
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