Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: DEAD MAIL [Toronto Intl Film Festival 2024 - Toronto, Ontario]

At once unassuming and decidedly low tech, this quiet entry in the horror/crime element in “Dead Mail” [Midnight Madness/Canadian Premiere] is surprisingly effective at times while still being delightfully weird. It is not mainstream for the most part but it seems to know its tone which is remarkably off kilter and yet focused in a way in its mundane proclivities. It starts off in one realm which in itself is interesting in its protagonist but then almost devolves into something different…and yet it is all interconnected. As the film progresses it becomes a bit more subversive but not necessarily out of necessity. The antagonist like many seem to have unresolved issues but nothing that dictates his actions. T

he music, a synth potpourri which pull classical in an unusual but specified way brings to mind metaphors of “A Clockwork Orange” in the beginnings while “Scarface” (oddly enough) in the end uses those requisite codas. While it allows for a grandiosity, it might be overplaying its hand. The synthesizer and its build plays into the latter story but the “Dead Mail” aspect refers to a mystery within the postal office tracking down that mail that, at times, shouldn’t be found. The narrative wraps around its perspective so it is very specific in what it is showing but not necessarily with characters worth overly worrying about. While it works its magic with the heavy grain structure and forced perspective, it never quite gains an ironic (or iconic) status. B-

By Tim Wassberg