My Dead Friend Zoe

While I can understand why some might have a real connection to this movie and rate it a 10 for that reason (ie you served in the military (thank you for your service), lost someone close to you, or had to deal with putting an elderly family member in an assisted living home against their will), this movie isn't an Oscar worthy film. At the same time it isn't a "1" , worth walking out on, not by a long shot.

Like many I saw this movie as it was playing as the Screen Unseen, Monday movie of the week (love this idea by the way). The script is ok, not terribly deep or thought provoking. There are some cute, funny moments scattered about, but not sure I'd put this in the dark comedy category.

Morgan Freeman isn't used very effectively as some scenes cried out for more interaction between him and the lead character. Without that character depth, anyone could have played that role as meaningfully as he did, which wasn't very.

The ending could have used a little more fleshing out of some details to really deliver. It wasn't bad, and it gets its point across just fine. But overall that's what this movie is, it's just there and it's just fine. That's not a terrible thing, but it's not an amazing thing either.

That said, I am glad I saw it and I enjoyed it.

I'm simply impressed by the wide range of mental health issues touched on in this film. The filmakers could just have easily focused on one of the topics and called it a day-thankfully they had a bigger picture in mind.

The main conflict at play is the PTSD that Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), a U. S. veteran out of 2016 Afghanistan, is struggling with throughout. We know from the opening moments-and the title-that this trauma is directly related to her friend Zoe, but the details are withheld for most of the film. I actually appreciated and enjoyed this gradual reveal of information, which included flashbacks and repeat imagery (tactics I am usually wary of). I thought the filmmakers handled that aspect well, aside from the ghost of Zoe that pesters Merit though-I'll get into that later.

Not only did this slowburn of information land, but the unexpected twist was what won me over to this part of the plot. It blew open the door in terms of who this movie could be for, in my opinion. We are led to believe this story is heading in a predictable direction with Merit's trauma, but the rug is pulled and we realize why it's been so hard for her to talk about it. That sequence regarding Zoe's fate was a shock that will resonate with a wide range of audiences-military and non-military alike. I'm just so glad that topics such as guilt, loneliness, detachment, and responsibility were explored in meaningful ways rather than letting the emotional climax hinge on a singular incident in Merit's past. This movie offers a lot to consider in the way of the aftermath of trauma and moving forward.

Ed Harris plays Merit's grandfather, a Vietnam veteran named Dale, who lives alone in his lakeside cabin and is developing Early Stage Alzheimer's. We're told he is the reason Merit enlisted; a certain story about seeing him stand tall for his branch's music at the 4th of July celebration is conveyed twice and paints an effective image of the man. When we meet him, it's clear that Merit has done damage to their relationship by ceasing all visits post service, even including the funeral for her grandmother. Because of this, who he is as a result of his service, and the nature of the disease he's dealing with, connecting to him proves to be challenging for Merit. I thought this plot was decent, and I appreciate how it feels like a path to internal redemption for Merit following what happened with Zoe, although that connection is easier made after the fact than in the moment watching.

I just think that the two subplots involving Dale and Alex, the retirement home owner, weren't as compelling as they could have been, especially the Alex stuff, which could have been omitted with no complaints from me. I think some of the writing is a little wonky, such as some unintentionally awkward dialogue moments, the repeating of information we've already heard (yes, that includes the 4th of July story), and ghost Zoe...

"Ghost" Zoe (yeah, I know she's not actually a ghost) was doomed to be dissapointing to me from the start. I don't like characters that only exist in other character's heads. It just straight up doesn't work for me. It's how I felt about A Beautiful Mind (2001) once the schizophrenia was made apparent. Not only does the tactic turn me off in general, but Zoe's personality as this ghost is not funny to me like they were going for. I viewed this inclusion as a small obstacle to ignore while I was getting into the real plot going on around it.

I also don't know how I feel about the circumstances surrounding Merit's eye opening moment that allowed her to make the first steps toward real progress. The previous scene was her mother (a performance I was not into) scolding Merit for making a mess out of the situation with her grandpa-which is ridiculous in itself since that's her father and she's not really stepping up to the plate either, but I digress. Then, Merit goes on one of her many soul searching/retrospective runs of the movie, except this time she figures it all out on her own and finds self forgiveness. I think I was expecting this moment to come from some sort of pivotal assistance from another person in her life-heck, Ed Harris was right there. The fact that it came to her on her own seems to contradict the earlier criticism of shutting down and unhealthily trying to deal with things alone.

If it wasn't for Zoe's fate expanding the reach of this movie's messaging and just being a great moment in general, I was sitting at a 3 on this due to my issues with the writing and some pacing. However, I can safely say the movie earned a very sold 3.5 in my book.

Oh, and Martin-Green gave a very nice performance as Merit. I've always liked her since seeing her work on The Walking Dead, and I'm glad to see her in projects like this.

WATCHED ON: AMC Theaters

HIGHER OR LOWER: lower.

My Dead Friend Zoe is a sensitive drama that delves into profound themes such as grief, the trauma of war, and the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans. Although it was initially presented as a dark comedy, the film is far from that, it's an introspective, slow-paced, and melancholic piece that finds strength in its sincerity and in the strong performances of Sonequa Martin-Green, Morgan Freeman, and Ed Harris.

Even though the script sometimes feels scattered and lacks a more defined sense of purpose, the film gains significance by giving voice to a reality too often overlooked. It's an uneven production, yet one with a genuine heart and a deep respect for those who carry invisible scars.

Yes it is a movie about veterans but it is not just about that, for me till the first half it was like omg not this same old story again specially I was watching the movie in a film festival but secondly half movie started to reveal more details and it was ooohhh thats different and nice, director made an amazing job you will feel his touches in a lot of things. Big shout out for Natalie Morales amazing acting, I loved every scene she was in. I would have loved if the movie main characters was males just because of the stereotype of men should be strong and control feelings bla bla bla which lead eventually men not revealing there emotions, but director had a fair point of why main characters were women.

I had an idea on what the story was about, but it threw a couple curve balls at me. The fight at home is sometimes worse than the fight in the war. We had an epidemic, and I'm happy to hear that it's been finally slowing down a bit since 2019. My heart goes to all those who are effected, no matter at what level. I hope better programs are put into place going forward. We shouldn't be sending them out, just to bring them back and let them suffer alone. We have a duty to them, as they served a duty to all of us. I think that's one thing a lot of us can unite on. Truly a great story with a powerful message. The movie can be a little slow at times, so that's where my 7 comes in, but its still one I'd tell the right people to go and see.

Saw at AMC on 3-5-2025 with Nicole.