My Dead Friend Zoe is a beautiful character study on grief and highlights incredible performances from the entire cast.
PLOT: Engaged in a mysterious relationship with wise-cracking (and dead) best friend from the Army, a female Afghanistan veteran reluctantly reunites with her estranged Vietnam vet grandfather at the family’s ancestral lake house.
REVIEW: Cinema is often a great tool to showcase a subject matter that otherwise may not have gotten the time of day. Often our veterans are lauded as the heroes that they are yet a harsh reality sets in to what they often have to return to: PTSD and memories they wish they didn’t have. The reality of military life doesn’t end when the job does and is something they’ll have to contend with for the rest of their lives. My Dead Friend Zoe takes the very real reality that many veterans go through, and gives it a twist to make a very inward story, more cinematic.
The story of My Dead Friend Zoe follows Merit, an Army veteran who has been trying to find her place in life, post-enlistment. Her grandfather is having memory issues, so she goes to live with him to help him out, against his wishes. And Merit has been dealing with a pretty big problem: everywhere she goes, she sees her dead friend Zoe. She and Zoe had served in Afghanistan together, and we get little glimpses of what their life was like during that time. They claim to always be there for each other, but we obviously know by present-day that something big happened along the way. They do a good job of playing with that mystery, though Merit’s guilt certainly leans in a specific direction.
It should be stated right from the onset that Zoe is not a ghost in this film. There is no supernatural element present at all and instead, Zoe is more of a representation of a part of Merit’s mind. I know that may seem obvious to some, but I’ve already seen random comments about her being a ghost, so I wanted to put that to bed. As light as the film can be at times, this is dark subject matter and clearly has a prevailing point that is sure to connect with many viewers. And Zoe having a physical presence in the film just serves to tell a facet of what Merit is haunted by.
The friendship between Merit and Zoe is the centerpiece of the film and is the lynchpin to what makes all of this work. Sonequa Martin-Green and Natalie Morales feel like friends with a deep bond. It’s hard to naturally get that playful banter that can come naturally through friendship and they really nail it. Zoe exists as a constant reminder of Merit’s failure. The truth of the situation doesn’t matter, it’s simply about Merit’s interpretation and that she blames herself. Both Morales and Martin-Green bring a great deal of vulnerability to their respective roles and are truly riveting.
One of the most intriguing aspects of My Dead Friend Zoe, is its utilization of veterans. Outside of Sonequa and Natalie, every actor in the film is a military veteran (a firm reminder that both Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman served). This could have easily been disastrous, yet there’s not a bad performance in the bunch, as writer/director Kyle Hausmann-Stokes handles it like a pro. This is made all the more impressive by the fact that much of their dialogue was improvised. Morgan Freeman plays the guy who runs the group meetings, Dr. Cole, and it’s sad to see him at such an advanced age. Ed Harris has a much meatier role, as his character, Dale, is contending with Dementia. He also serves as a window into Merit’s potential future, even if his subplot can feel a little “Lifetime movie.”
My Dead Friend Zoe goes in a direction that won’t come as a surprise to anyone with some experience with PTSD. It’s heartbreaking and resonates on a deeply emotional level. The performances are all great and it left me feeling both sad and hopeful. Often cinema is so focused on romantic relationships, that it’s nice to see a platonic bond take center stage. The narrative moves effortlessly from current day, to Merit’s days in Afghanistan, slowly putting more pieces of the Zoe puzzle together. This is sure to be a painful watch for many people but if you’re willing to go on this journey, there’s a lot of hope on the other side.
MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE IS PLAYING IN THEATERS ON FEBRUARY 28TH, 2025.
Non-Profit’s you can follow if you or someone in your life is a veteran in need: The Mission Continues, Bob Woodruff Foundation, Everytown for Gun Safety: Support Fund
