Kyle Hausmann-Stokes’ poignant dramedy My Dead Friend Zoe is a delicate piece of art about the mental health of our veterans.
The film stars Sonequa Martin-Green as Merit, a vet recently reeling from the loss of her best friend Zoe (Natalie Morales). Merit is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and undergoes group counseling set up by veteran affairs (VA). The head counselor leading the group sessions Dr. Cole (Morgan Freeman) is frustrated that Merit refuses to open up about her past. The only way she can relinquish any pain from the present is to unleash that history — which she refuses to do.
When Dr. Cole refuses to sign her release form, this also further frustrates Merit who turns to her dead friend Zoe for consolation. She sees Zoe appear everywhere with her, and the two share an exceptional relationship that is to the detriment of Merit’s own mental health and well-being. While Merit is dealing with her own mental wellness, her estranged grandfather Dale (Ed Harris) is suffering from cognitive dysfunction. He was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and her overbearing mother Kris (Gloria Reuben) insists that he stay in a nursing home.
Merit’s life is further complicated when she meets a man by the name of Alex (Utkarsh Ambudkar). There’s an instant attraction between the two, but Zoe is still the third wheel in Merit’s life.
Zoe is a free-spirited girl with no scruples. She’s funny, charismatic and a loyal friend to Merit. The two served together in Afghanistan, and the film does a great job in establishing how close these two were during their tour together. The narrative is structured in segments of Merit’s past in the form of snippets of flashbacks. From there we move back to the present day dealing with her current dilemma of her father’s need for care-giving. As the story moves back and forth from past to present, the tension slowly builds for the viewer as to what exactly happened to Zoe.
Merit refuses to uncover what happened to her and Zoe in Afghanistan. As the story progresses and more time is spent with the two during their scenes overseas, you’re more engaged in Zoe’s fate and why Merit has carried so much guilt around it for so long. And then there is the parallel story happening between Zoe and her grandfather — who is also a veteran. Because he is from a different time, for Dale, bottling up your feelings and keeping what happened during times of war in the past is exactly what a good soldier is supposed to do. But for Merit it’s far more complicated than that — too complicated to even articulate to her grandfather what really happened.
This film delivers some incredible performances, most notably from Sonequa Martin-Green and Natalie Morales. Martin-Green, who carries a great deal of this movie, is absolutely flawless in her scenes, and when she gets emotional it is palpable. When she cries on screen, you are crying right there along with her. As for Morales, she is on the opposite side of the emotional spectrum as her character Zoe adds a great deal of levity and humor to the film. There’s also a beauty in the fact that this film features real veterans in starring roles that makes the film feel more genuine.
While this film deals with issues of mental illness, it’s not ham-fisted with its messaging around it. The filmmaker handles the issue with care and grace from a perspective that allows anyone to empathize with these characters. The core of this film is Zoe and Merit’s relationship and how they touched each other’s lives in such a significant way. There is a lesson to be learned about how we impact the life of another human being — and we see that in My Dead Friend Zoe.
While there are a number of producers on the roster behind this movie, which is not at all surprising for many films. What you may be surprised about is that Kansas City Chiefs NFL star Travis Kelce is an executive producer. This is his first foray into Hollywood producing. The other executive producers on the film are: Ed Harris, Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Jeff Annison, David Baxter, Brandi Plants, Nancy Masterson, Joe Masterson, and Igor Tsukerman.
The beautifully crafted family dynamics, the messaging about mental health and wellness, and the impeccable performances are worth every bit of your time.
The film is written by Kyle Hausmann-Stokes and AJ Bermudez.
My Dead Friend Zoe premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival.
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