My Dead Friend Zoe

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My Dead Friend Zoe

R

Feb 2025

1h 38m

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

97 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

Mar 3

'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.

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Kimberley Jones

Austin Chronicle

Mar 3

3.5/5

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

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

Mar 3

3.5/4

"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.

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Jayne Nelson

Radio Times

Nov 11

4/5

Despite its eye-catching title, don't expect zombies - this is actually a sensitive depiction of friendship, loss and post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Noah Berlatsky

Splice Today

Nov 5

Asensitive and affecting entry in the genre of films about war’s aftermath and the lingering effects of PTSD.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Oct 15

3/4

Given that title, one would be forgiven for believing My Dead Friend Zoe was one of those ‘80s horror comedies like My Demon Lover and My Mom’s a Werewolf. On the contrary, this is a sturdy seriocomedy.

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Blaine B

Aug 22

I am a veteran and I thought this was a solid movie and very well done. I really appreciated the story and the acting was great.

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Patrick W

Apr 15

MDFZ is a wonderful exploration of the citizen-soldier dichotomy and how the military succeeds in attracting some of the best and brightest: but not everyone can be as successful or resilient to deal with heavier things. Sonequa Martin-Green is fantastic, and pulls-off the constant flash-backs with grace and honor. The "feels" are "real," and PTSD presents in many ways. I love the other actors in this film, as well; but Green's performance is only approached by Ed Harris' portrayal of a fiercely independent veteran, himself, acutely feeling the frustrations of dementia in a world he sometimes doesn't recognize anymore. If you are active duty, a veteran, interested in the Gulf War, or just love good cinema, GO SEE THIS FILM!! 5/5 STARS!

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moose_km

Apr 6

Im a Vet. Thank you for making this film. It hits the right place in your chest. Thank you for keeping the story as real as can be. I will tell you, the reveal at the end, floored me! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👊🏼👍🏼

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Robert C

Mar 16

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

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Danial C

Mar 15

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.

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Mark M

Mar 14

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

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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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