How to watch Dead Mail at home? Digital release date, platforms, and more
The horror film Dead Mail premiered at the SXSW Film Festival on March 9, 2024. After a successful run at various film festivals, it was acquired by Shudder, a streaming company owned by AMC Network. Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy wrote and directed the movie, which will be released exclusively for streaming on Shudder on April 18, 2025.
The story follows Jasper, who receives a blood-stained note containing a message asking for help. Jasper, who is also a 'dead letter' investigator at the post office, starts investigating the note in hopes of finding its origin. The investigation leads him down a horrifying journey as he eventually encounters the sender—the kidnapped keyboard engineer and his eccentric business associate.
According to the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 95% of 21 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.9/10.
Digital Release for Dead Mail explored
Dead Mail will be released digitally on April 18, 2025. The movie has a runtime of 1 hour and 46 minutes. After a successful run at film festivals, such as SXSW Film Festival 2024, Sitges Film Festival, Brooklyn Horror Fest, and others, it was acquired for streaming.
The film is set to be released exclusively on Shudder, a horror, thriller, and supernatural fiction streaming service owned and operated by AMC Networks. As per Deadline, Emily Gotto, a senior vice president at Shudder, negotiated the deal for the film with the directors' representative.
“DEAD MAIL showcases the immense talent of Kyle and Joe in what is a unique, arresting and highly entertaining, darkly comedic film with color drenched 80s nostalgia as the backdrop. It’s just the type of bloody and offbeat thriller that lives on Shudder," she explained regarding the acquisition.
Shudder is available for a free trial for first-time subscribers. The audience can subscribe to AMC Plus, which provides the option for three different plans, to gain access to Shudder. The plans listed for potential subscribers are:
- monthly ad-free plan for $9.99/mo.
- annual ad-free plan for $95.88 billed annually.
- monthly with ads for $6.99/mo.
International audiences can use a trustworthy VPN to access and subscribe to AMC Plus.
Plot of Dead Mail
The trailer was released on March 26, 2025, and is available on the official Shudder YouTube channel. The trailer begins with a kidnapped man, Josh, under duress, panicking his way to the mailbox to deliver a blood-soaked note for help. His kidnapper is unable to stop him from putting the note.
The trailer shows a 1980s-style setting in the movie, with a constant eerie background music score. Unable to stop him from delivering the note, the kidnapper arrives at the post office but receives no help. The scene changes to post office employees suggesting to give the blood-soaked note to Ridley Jasper, a professional investigator of dead letters.
The trailer concludes with a bunch of different suspense-filled scenes and a struggling Josh trying to make his way out of captivity. The clip also includes several praises from publications such as Variety, Collider, Dread Central, and a few others.
"Captivating...A unique twist on the horror genre." stated the review from Collider which was shared during the trailer.
"Feels like a sinister VHS found deep in a Midwest closet." stated Variety.
The list of cast and crew for Dead Mail
The film was written and directed by the filmmaking duo Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy. The film was produced by Zachary Weil and Brett Arndt, with Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Adam Goldworm, and Susan Priver executive producing.
The horror film stars Sterling Macer Jr. as Josh, the kidnapping victim, and John Fleck as Trent, the kidnapper. Other members of the cast include Susan Piver as Bess and Micki Jackson as Ann, both of whom are post office employees. Tomas Boykin plays the role of Jasper, the dead mail investigator.
The horror film Dead Mail will be released exclusively for streaming on Shudder on April 18, 2025.
