My Dead Friend Zoe

Unrated

3/9/20241h 43m

Premiere Release (US)

~ Grief can be a funny thing. ~

Overview:

Merit, a U.S. Army veteran suffering from PTSD, is repeatedly tortured by visions of her deceased friend and company buddy Zoe. After her Afghanistan service in 2016, she attends group therapy until Dale, her grandfather and former Lieutenant Colonel, is recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Merit steps up to his aide, and discovers more about herself and her family, while also gaining the courage to put her metaphorical demons to rest.

Director:

Kyle Hausmann-Stokes

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$1,174,384.00

Key words:

army
post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd)
support group
date
afghanistan
female friendship
alzheimer's disease
sunglasses
flirting
shooting game
glowstick
father daughter relationship
mother daughter relationship
motorboat
black woman
running
hilarious
dead best friend

Cast

Sonequa Martin-Green

~ as ~

Merit

Natalie Morales

~ as ~

Zoe

Ed Harris

~ as ~

Dale

Morgan Freeman

~ as ~

Dr. Cole

Utkarsh Ambudkar

~ as ~

Alex

Gloria Reuben

~ as ~

Kris

Rich Paul

~ as ~

Lewis

Drew Rausch

~ as ~

Dr. Stokes

Kelsi Umeko

~ as ~

Lawyer

James Bane

~ as ~

Dustin

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

MS
Manuel São Bento
Written 8 month(s) ago
7
My Dead Friend Zoe dives deep into the wounds left by war, grief, and unspoken regrets, incorporating a narrative that, while following a familiar structure, never feels emotionally hollow. It's the kind of film where the strength lies not in groundbreaking plot mechanics, but in the sheer honesty of its characters and the delicate care with which their pain is portrayed. Sonequa Martin-Green delivers a magnetic performance - quietly powerful, effortlessly vulnerable, and deeply human. The screenplay leans into genre conventions, but it does so with sincerity, making the emotional beats hit all the harder.

The third act is where everything clicks into place. It's raw, unflinching, and devastating in the most beautiful way - a culmination of internal battles finally reaching catharsis. Director Kyle Hausmann-Stokes doesn't try to overplay his hand, letting the characters carry the weight, allowing moments of silence and memory to speak volumes. Yes, it doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it rolls with such truth and heart that you won't soon forget it. A compelling tale about healing, memory, and the ones we carry with us.

Rating: B