Shudder has announced that they have acquired horror film Dead Mail, which premiered at the 2024 South by Southwest (SXSW) festival last March. Described in the press release as an “80s Midwest horror thriller,” Dead Mail was very successful during its festival run.
Dead Mail was selected for recognition at Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness Section, Brooklyn Horror Fest and Sitges Film Festival, making it pretty much a film festival darling. Critics have praised it for its impeccable 1980s aesthetic, its clever script (with plenty of twists and turns along the way), and strong acting performances.
The film will make its exclusive streaming debut on Shudder during their highly anticipated annual Halfway to Halloween campaign. Dead Mail stars John Fleck, Sterling Macer, Jr. (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story), Susan Piver (Scalper), Micki Jackson (Drumline: A New Beat), Tomas Boykin (The Munsters) and Nick Heyman (Matters of Life and Death). It was directed by Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy (Sheep’s Clothing, BAB).
While Kyle McConaghy described his film as “a bland Midwest film,” Dread Central gave it a very favorable review, and a quick google search showed that a lot of other critics gave it high marks as well.
What is the premise of Dead Mail?
Dead Mail is set in the 1980s in the Midwest. When a blood soaked letter is dropped into a mail slot just as the bound sender is closed in on by another person, it sets off a chain of terrifying events. The letter ends up with Jasper, a very experienced dead letter investigator. He begins to investigate it, and ends up embroiled in some pretty nasty business.
Directors DeBoer and McConaghy pronounced themselves as “beyond excited” to have their film make its streaming debut on Shudder, which they describe as “legitimate and boundary pushing.” And who can blame them for their excitement? After all, well-received horror fare such as Revenge, Late Night With the Devil, Host and Mad God are all Shudder Originals or Exclusives.
Missing out on those and other great Shudder movies? Remedy that situation by signing up for a free 7-day trial subscription on their website.
Dead Mail will begin streaming on Shudder April 18, joining the rest of their Halfway to Halloween schedule. In past years, Halfway to Halloween programming has included fan favorites such as The Boulet Brothers’ Halfway to Halloween TV Special and Slasher: Ripper. Keep your eyes on 1428 Elm for the full 2025 Halfway to Halloween schedule, which should be released in March (if not sooner).