Military veteran turned filmmaker Kyle Hausmann-Stokes delivers an engaging feature in “My Dead Friend Zoe”. Stokes pen the film’s screenplay with A.J. Bermudez.
After an incident at work, Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), a U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, is forced to attend therapy. Despite the best efforts of her VA group counselor, Dr. Cole (Morgan Freeman), Merit remains aloof in her perspective on the world. She also has a strained but tough-love relationship with her mother, Kris (Gloria Reuben).
The true solace in Merti’s life, though, is the presence of Zoe (Natalie Morales), her dead best friend from the Army, whom only she can see. The duo’s cozy-dysfunctional friendship is a saving grace for Merit. However, when Merit’s estranged grandfather Dale (Ed Harris) has an indecent at the family’s ancestral lake house, Merit decides to help and finds an unexpected romance with Alex (Utkarsh Ambudkar). However, as Merit begins to find peace, is she ready to let go of her dead friend?
As a veteran who suffers from PTSD and someone who has lost best friends to suicide, I have to commend Kyle Hausmann-Stokes for the angle he takes with “My Dead Friend Zoe.” While NFL champion Travis Kelce is one of the film’s executive producers, Stokes doesn’t use him as a crux. Instead, he uses real-life veterans in the film as part of Zoe’s support group, which humans the film.
Sonequa Martin-Green, who shot to fame with roles in established franchises, is a revelation as Merit. As the layers peel away, she processes her grief and repairs her relationships with her family. I genuinely hope the right casting directors see the film as this star-making role, and I would love to see her take on more dramatic leads.
Natalie Morales is equally strong as Zoe. She taps into the supportive best friend role who sees the best in Merir and is always ready with a joke, whether she’s dead or alive. From the moment we met her when she was trying to repair an IPOD during their time down range, I was reminded of many people I served with. Veteran actors Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, and Gloria Reuben are also good.
Avoiding propaganda or being overly preachy, “My Dead Friend Zoe” is Kyle Hausmann-Stokes’s passionate debut. It pays tribute to veterans and tactfully explores how the human spirit processes grief.
Final Grade: A
“My Dead Friend Zoe” opens in theaters on Friday, February 28th.
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