Part character study, part race-against-the-clock mystery, Dead Mail, directed by Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy, is an interesting analysis of how hard it is to find someone, even if they want to be found. Premiering at FrightFest 2024, Dead Mail is the story of a kidnapped man who manages to drop a note pleading for help into the nearest mailbox. With very little identifying information, the Post Office tries to decipher where the anonymous note-writer is being held before it's too late.

The characters who work in the Post Office are intriguing, especially Jasper (Tomas Boykin), who runs the dead letter office – the place where undeliverable letters go. He is relentless in his investigations to get mail to the right people, while his colleagues, Ann (Micki Jackson) and Bess (Susan Priver), often defer to his judgment, but are excellent investigators in their own right.

Josh (Sterling Macer Jr.), who has been taken captive, has a dream to make synthesizer sounds for one of the big Japanese companies. He spends his time perfecting synthesized instrument sounds, soldering wires and glueing small parts together to create the perfect music. This plot takes up the middle of the film and the majority of the runtime. If the viewer is a fan of synthesizer music, the soundtrack will be loved. But if the viewer finds synthesizer music grating, it is wildly distracting.

The film's non-linear progression starts with the letter being sent and discovered, a flashback to what led to the kidnapping, and the third act catches up to the beginning timeline and continues the investigation. Most of the runtime includes the captive and the captor working on their synthesizer project. After the exciting beginning, and the intrigue of the dead letter office, the middle of the story drags somewhat. However, when the investigation starts again, the excitement returns. There are a few plot contrivances that seem too convenient to be plausible, but they are in service of drama and tension.

For fans of investigative mysteries and stories about the psychology behind keeping people prisoner, Dead Mail is a worthy watch packed full of drama, intrigue, and palpably tense moments.

Dead Mail screened at FrightFest 2024 on Saturday, August 24.