My Dead Friend Zoe

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2:25

My Dead Friend Zoe

R

Released Feb 28

1h 38m

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

95%

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91 Reviews

95%

Popcornmeter

250+ Verified Ratings

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, 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.

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Critics Consensus

Carrying off painful subject matter with a light touch, My Dead Friend Zoe invites audiences to a healing process that comes with both chuckles and tears.

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Audience Says

Bringing levity to weighty themes, the finely rendered My Dead Friend Zoe meaningfully examines kinship, PTSD, and loss within the veteran community with specificity and authenticity.

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William Bibbiani

TheWrap

'My Dead Friend Zoe' is a noble film, seemingly honest and open. It’s not a terribly exciting one, and it struggles to justify its modest length, but plot isn’t everything.

Mar 3, 2025

Full Review

Kimberley Jones

Austin Chronicle

Morales is a stealth stunner, going the distance from comic relief to the film’s emotional crux.

Rated: 3.5/5

Mar 3, 2025

Full Review

Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

"My Dead Friend Zoe" throws a plot curveball near the finale and it readjusts what we've seen before. It's perfectly pitched and makes for a sound change that further texturizers the emotional scope of this his wonderful, very human gem from a new voice.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 3, 2025

Full Review

Jackie K. Cooper

jackiekcooper.com

A timely and touching movie which features an outstanding performance by Ed Harris

Rated: 6/10

Mar 23, 2025

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

Fish Jelly Films (YouTube)

While the film doesn't ultimately match the strength of a lead performance from Sonequa Martin-Green, My Dead Friend Zoe is often emotionally compelling and a unique approach to the examination of PTSD.

Rated: 2.5/5

Mar 20, 2025

Full Review

Erik Childress

Movie Madness Podcast

Despite strong performances from Sonequa Martin-Green and Ed Harris, the film’s powerful reminder of how veterans are so often cast aside finds itself overshadowed by the wacky ghostly manifestation of the title and other subplots.

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 16, 2025

Full Review

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Robert C

Funny, Sad, great acting and an important movie for our country.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/16/25

Full Review

Danial C

If you haven't seen, "My Dead Friend Zoe" yet, I recommend it. As a service-connected, disabled veteran (US Army) with one particular friend who succumbed after coming home, watching this was like a punch in the gut. It talks of service, honor and most importantly PTSD and our support network. Admittedly, the presentation treads a bit slowly for the first 50 minutes or so but the latter half, and especially the last 20 minutes will knock you off your feet. The principal actors, Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris were all superb in their roles - as good as I have ever seen them. Most of the extras and Morgan Freeman himself, are veterans, many of them of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Watch all the way to the end, as the credits scroll. There wasn't a dry eye in the theater.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/15/25

Full Review

Mark M

Amazing story of a soldiers life after service and the demons we often carry with us.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/14/25

Full Review

Michael

One of the best movies of the year. It tells such an important and emotional story in a compassionate way and with plenty of laughs along the way.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/14/25

Full Review

Jill R

Loved how the story was told...it made you experience what the main character was feeling. Very moving story. I like that it also brings awareness to what veterans go through and how to help.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/13/25

Full Review

Tom HB

There is a quote in the film that goes something like "the military didn't invent PTSD, but we're best at it." That is in some ways a good summary of this amazing film, because it is about soldiers returning from war and fighting for meaning in their lives, and the film strikes the perfect balance between humor and the struggle in combat veteran Merit's mind -- played stunningly by Sonequa Martin-Green. But the lessons in the film can help anyone recovering from a traumatic experience and trying to work things out. And the ending is totally impactful and circles back to reality through statistics and stories in the ending credits. This movie definitely has the capacity to not only change lives but save lives.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/13/25

Full Review

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Kyle Hausmann-Stokes

Director

Sonequa Martin-Green

Merit

Natalie Morales

Zoe

Ed Harris

Dale

Morgan Freeman

Dr. Cole

Gloria Reuben

Kris

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My Dead Friend Zoe: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

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, 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.

Director: Kyle Hausmann-Stokes
Producer: Paul Scanlan, Terri Lubaroff, Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, Ray Maiello, Mike Field, Richard Silverman, Robert Paschall Jr.
Screenwriter: Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, A.J. Bermudez
Distributor: Briarcliff Entertainment
Production Co: Legion M, Radiant Media Studios
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 28, 2025, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 18, 2025
Runtime: 1h 38m
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

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