Going Postal – A Brutally Honest Look at Gaming’s Most Misunderstood Franchise -

In the realm of video games, few names carry as much baggage — and raw unpredictability — as Postal. For more than two decades, the franchise has been a lightning rod for outrage, censorship, and moral panic. The new feature-length documentary, Going Postal, tackles that legacy head-on, unpacking a story that’s equal parts absurd, tragic, and deeply human.

What begins as a wild ride through the early days of indie game chaos quickly reveals itself as something more. Yes, Going Postal delivers the expected deep dive into controversy — violence, bans, political uproar — but it also shines a light on the misunderstood creatives behind the madness. At its core, this is a film about defiance, resilience, and how a small team at Running with Scissors took on the establishment and refused to blink.

But the doc doesn’t shy away from the darker implications. In an era where violent games have often been scapegoated in the aftermath of horrific real-world tragedies, Postal has been an easy target. The film acknowledges this, and even challenges viewers to wrestle with a difficult question: where does responsibility lie when fiction mirrors our fears? It doesn’t offer simple answers — nor should it — but it raises important conversations often overlooked in the soundbite-driven media frenzy that usually surrounds titles like this.

For those unfamiliar with the franchise, Going Postal does an excellent job laying out the history — the original release, the infamous sequel, its many chaotic spin-offs, and even a movie adaptation. It weaves in archival footage, candid interviews, and a surprising amount of humor to tell a story that’s not just about games, but about the culture that reacted to them.

One of the most compelling aspects is how the film reveals the irony at the heart of Postal: it’s a series that was never meant to be taken at face value. The over-the-top violence, the crude satire — it was all a calculated rebellion against the very outrage it would end up stoking. The developers wore the controversy like armor, even trademarking the game’s infamy as one of the worst of all time. But as the documentary shows, behind that armor were real people navigating the harsh consequences of notoriety.

While Going Postal isn’t without its flaws — the pacing can meander in the final act, and the structure occasionally feels scattered — it succeeds where it matters. It tells the full story. Not just of a game, but of the people behind it. And perhaps most importantly, it gives space to consider how society reacts to media it doesn’t understand, and the dangers of oversimplifying complex issues like violence and blame.

This isn’t just a documentary for gamers. It’s for anyone who’s ever questioned the boundaries of creative freedom, the role of satire, or the price of pushing back against the mainstream. It’s provocative, yes. But it’s also sincere — and in today’s media climate, that’s a rare thing.

With a streaming release coming soon via Prime and Apple, Going Postal deserves a spot on your watchlist — not just for the chaos, but for the questions it leaves echoing long after the credits roll.