Pull back hair, brush down sneakers, throw on Army tee, touch Zoe’s military dog tag, head out for a run. Seeking order and routine in the midst of inner turmoil is a common tactic, and in Kyle Hausmann-Stokes' filmMy Dead Friend Zoe, a quiet desperation for control eats at U.S. veteran protagonist Merit Charles (Sonequa Martin-Green) — a former Army light-wheel vehicle mechanic. It’s a bit elementary to say Merit’s running hobby symbolizes her attempt to run from her problems, especially considering it’s near impossible to run from constant visions of her deceased friend who served with her in Afghanistan.
These apparitions of Merit’s dead friend Zoe Ramirez (Natalie Morales) are simultaneously comforting (like a cherished baby blankie) and suffocating (like a weighted blanket that’s much too heavy). Whenyour ghost bestieis both a soothing presence and a sinister one, there are evidently some traumas to be dealt with.
Showcasing a star-studded cast hand-selected by director and co-writer Hausmann-Stokes — a U.S. Army veteran himself who served for five years as a paratrooper and was awarded the Bronze Star in Iraq —My Dead Friend Zoeshines as an atypicalwardramedy with the power to speak volumes to a wide range of lived experiences. With overarchingthemes including mental health awareness, the strength in moving on, and the importance of self-forgiveness, the film’s messages extend beyond its loose genre placement. It’s a war movie for people who don’t like war movies.
Being a gender-flipped telling of Hausmann-Stokes' personal story and that of his two platoonmates,My Dead Friend Zoepossesses a looming heaviness synonymous with post-combat films. However, its unswerving dedication to honoring the nuances of grief, guilt, and life makes for an utterly charming film unafraid to blend humor with trauma. Somehow, Hausmann-Stokes found a way to make the lyrics to Rihanna’s 2007 hit “Umbrella” cut like a knife, and that’s talent in and of itself.
A Dual Timeline Reveals Painful Realities and a Quiet Battle with Psychological Demons
My Dead Friend Zoe
‘My Dead Friend Zoe’ is a dark comedy drama that follows the journey of Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), a U.S. Army Afghanistan veteran who is at odds with her family thanks to the presence of Zoe (Natalie Morales), her dead best friend from the Army. Despite the persistence of her VA group counselor (Morgan Freeman), the tough love of her mother (Gloria Reuben) and the levity of an unexpected love interest (Utkarsh Ambudkar), Merit’s cozy-dysfunctional friendship with Zoe keeps the duo insulated from the world. That is until Merit’s estranged grandfather (Ed Harris) – holed up at the family’s ancestral lake house – begins to lose his way and needs the one thing he refuses… help. At its core, this is a buddy film about a complicated friendship, a divided family, and the complex ways in which we process grief.
InMy Dead Friend Zoe, Morgan Freeman naturally portrays the consistent voice of reason, aka U.S. veteran and VA group counselor Dr. Cole. Merit is either physically or mentally absent from numerous court-ordered veteran group therapy sessions, and Dr. Cole’s attempts to get her to open up about her traumas are met with pushback. “Courage is moving forward, it’s not being unmoved,” he tells her. Finding the courage to confront and release our inner demons isn’t easy, especially when we convince ourselves the pain and guilt are deserved, a core theme of the film.
A reserved, stoic, and somewhat reclusive Merit has stopped herself from living a full life post-service, masking her truth like her life depends on it. With a dead-end job and no friends or dating prospects, her most reliable companion and source of comfort is Dead Zoe, who regularly offers quippy commentary on Merit’s daily life and interactions. Whether she’s suggesting they play aMAS*Hdrinking game or urging Merit not to answer a call from her mother (Gloria Reuben), Dead Zoe’s persistent influence and toxic friendship is a gut-wrenching reminder of the past. Not only that, but Zoe’s eye rolls and “cool story, bruh” remarks during group therapy keep Merit from moving on and engaging in something intended to improve her mental health and provide access to a healthy support system.
Natalie Morales Talks ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’ & Playing Monica Beltran in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
Natalie Morales discusses his new dramedy ‘My Dead Friend Zoe,’ ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ and her upcoming Netflix series ‘The Beast in Me’ with Claire Danes.
My Dead Friend Zoe’s flashbacks to Merit’s service give the audience a peek at the reality of her friendship with Zoe. Natalie Morales infuses Afghanistan-era Zoe with visceral pain and fear, all behind the facade of a warm cheesy smile and a badass attitude. She’s charming and tough, a lovable goofball, but Zoe still wears her heart on her camo sleeve, fearful of what comes after her days in the U.S. Army.
Throughout multiple conversations between the two women, it becomes clear that Merit joined the Army to honor her veteran Grandpa Dale — played with earnest pride and ferocity by Ed Harris — Zoe did so as a form of escapism. “The world is not my f*ckin' oyster,” Zoe tells Merit after revealing she may reenlist. Considering Zoe calls U.S. soldiers “imperial Stormtroopers tricked into modern colonialism,” her passions are not with the military. With crumbs of a life back home, Zoe doesn’t feel she’s able to have passions at all. Merit has family and options, people waiting for her return; that isn’t Zoe’s reality, and a fear of the unknown swallows her.
Exploring the Crushing Weight of Grand Expectations, Unrelenting Guilt, and Accepting Help
In the present, Dead Zoe’s class clown act comes with judgmental undertones and snarky jabs, Natalie Morales even calling her character a “guilt demon.” Dead Zoe is a warped version of Merit’s friend, a more snide iteration that acts as a manifestation of Merit’s gnawing guilt and PTSD. Throughout the film, the audience is neither meant to fully comprehend the weight of this former friendship nor know the cause of Zoe’s death. Before all is revealed in a harrowing final act, Merit’s relationship with guilt is explored thoroughly and with stunning nuance.
Much ofMy Dead Friend Zoehighlights Merit’s relationship with her Grandpa Dale, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, as his early-stage Alzheimer’s disease worsens. Merit’s mother is in Hong Kong and expects her daughter to check in on her estranged grandfather at his secluded ancestral lake house in Oregon, a task that proves to be laborious in several ways. Similarly to his granddaughter, Grandpa Dale desperately seeks order and control in the midst of an inner battle, insisting on fixing old bird feeders himself and enforcing a strict trash sorting system. More alike than they realize, Merit and Grandpa Dale are two sides of the same bruised coin.
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Merit retreats when she fails to meet heavy expectations from Zoe, her mother, and Grandpa Dale. She’s only human, after all, but her perceived failures breed insurmountable pain, guilt, and regret. When we let this suffering hold us back from living life, we feed the beast, we nourish it, we let it consume us. And when we convince ourselves this pain is deserved, asking for help and self-forgiveness feel like illogical options. What’s wonderful aboutMy Dead Friend Zoeis its insistence that veterans' hardships and mental health struggles are both unique to their situations and universal to the human condition.
Kyle Hausmann-Stokes Highlights Veteran Issues in a Digestible and Relatable Work
With a whip-smart script, raw performances, and palpable chemistry, SXSW Audience Award winnerMy Dead Friend Zoeis a triumphant debut feature film for Hausmann-Stokes. Veteran stories aren’t typically told through the lens of two women of color, andMy Dead Friend Zoedoes so with a fervent vulnerability and sense of authenticity hard to come by.
Hausmann-Stokes and AJ Bermudez’s screenplay reinforces the idea that speaking openly with others about personal problems and mental anguish is a step toward freedom. More specifically, the film’s commentary on mental health intentionally spills into other facets of life, even briefly highlighting how PTSD can develop after something as outwardly mundane as a toxic marriage (featured in a charming performance by Utkarsh Ambudkar).
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Always forthright but never exploitative, comedic but rarely performative,My Dead Friend Zoewill persuade viewers to rethink their personal battles with trauma, mental health, and positive vulnerability. As for what the overall message of the film is and what audiences should take away, here’s whatNatalie Morales exclusively toldMovieWeb:
“To not assume the strong people in your life are okay. Also, [talking] about what’s going on with you is important. … A lot of us think that nobody wants to hear it, or that we need to be stoic or need to be strong, but if something is really affecting you, it’s important to just reach out.”
From Briarcliff Entertainment,My Dead Friend Zoehits U.S. theaters on Jul 04, 2025. For those interested in seeking out nonprofits which work to improve the lives of veterans and their families, please visit the following links:The Mission Continues,Bob Woodruff Foundation,Everytown for Gun Safety: Support Fund.
