My Dead Friend Zoe
2024
⏱️ 103 minutes
📅 Released
🌐 EN
ComedyWarDrama
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.
Where to Watch (US)
Rent
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Buy
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Cast
User Reviews
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
April 5, 2025
Crew
Director
Kyle Hausmann-Stokes
Writer
Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, A.J. Bermudez
Producer
Paul Scanlan, Jeff Annison, Mike Field
Production
Legion M, Radiant Media Studios, ReCre8 Entertainment, Blue Three Productions
Keywords
armypost-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd)support groupdateafghanistanfemale friendshipalzheimer's diseasesunglassesflirtingshooting game