Adapted from his short film Merit x Zoe, the new dramedy My Dead Friend Zoe is the feature debut of writer/director and Bronze Star Medal recipient Kyle Hausmann-Stokes. His experiences serving overseas in the Army during the Iraq War directly impacted both projects, which center around the invisible wounds that so many veterans return home with. But even though it’s mainly about characters who have been in the military, Hausmann-Stokes weaves in universal themes like perseverance after trauma and the power of human connection into a story that’s deeply affecting whether you’ve served or not. Led by what should be a star-making turn from Sonequa Martin-Green, this is a bitingly funny and ultimately moving tribute to the brave men and women in the armed forces.
Martin-Green plays Merit, a sergeant in the middle of an 8-year tour in Afghanistan who primarily works on-base as a wheeled vehicle mechanic. By her side is the bratty and chatty Zoe (Natalie Morales), a specialist waffling between either reenlisting or going to college after her current stint. After returning home, Merit sits recalcitrant while Dr. Cole (Morgan Freeman) leads up group therapy and Zoe, who has since passed away, appears only to Merit as a gabby apparition. The manifested memory of Zoe follows Merit as she’s asked to take care of her grandfather Dale (Ed Harris), who’s struggling with early Alzheimer’s, in his Pacific Northwest cabin. While looking for potential retirement communities for her grandpa, Merit strikes up a tentative relationship with Alex (Utkarsh Ambudkar), a manager of one of the facilities.
The hook of My Dead Friend Zoe is right there in the title, a comedic conceit where Zoe can poke and prod at Merit all she wants because no one else can see her. It’s not like we’ve never seen this concept before but in the context of this movie, it helps visualize the inner monologue and mental health struggles that veterans can face after coming home. Though we don’t exactly know the circumstances of Zoe’s death until late in the film, it’s implied that Merit feels guilty and potentially responsible for her passing. Zoe typically has an impish and impudent disposition as a ghostly hanger-on but when Merit attempts to open up with others about her trauma, Zoe’s demeanor is much more dour and hostile, as if her existence is under attack. It’s an apt way to convey how some feel that opening up about their experiences will be too burdensome and choose to bury their feelings instead.
Lest one get the impression that My Dead Friend Zoe is too heavy a meal, Hausmann-Stokes and his co-writer A.J. Bermudez pepper in plenty of deadpan snipes in the interactions between Merit and Zoe. As we see during flashbacks of their time together in Iraq, these two young women may not have been immediate friends stateside but as battle buddies, their friendship is full of warmth and humor. The version of Zoe in Merit’s head seems consistent with who she was in life; when the pair visit a cemetery and Merit tries to scold Zoe for making fun of names on headstones, she shoots back with, “I can joke about the dead; these are my people!” There are also pithy exchanges as Merit begins to open up to others as well; “The Army doesn’t own PTSD,” she tells Alex on a date, wryly following up with, “We are the best at it though.”
As a first-time director, Hausmann-Stokes occasionally gets bogged down in the tropes and contrivances that can hinder both comedies and dramas but most importantly, he does a fine job navigating the movie’s tricky tonal balance. Similarly, Martin-Green does a superb job portraying a character who is obviously holding onto so much but can still find the comedy in her situation and day-to-day interactions. She’s a terrific screen presence with Morales and especially Harris, an acting heavyweight who seems to relish his time on-screen with Martin-Green. A sly slant on a serious subject, My Dead Friend Zoe is a great example of a first-time feature filmmaker translating their unique life experiences to the big screen.
Score – 3.5/5
New movies coming this weekend:
Coming to theaters is Mickey 17, a sci-fi comedy starring Robert Pattinson and Naomi Ackie, about a financially strapped young man who signs up to become a disposable clone worker and is sent on a dangerous journey to colonize an ice planet.
Also playing in theaters is The Rule Of Jenny Pen, a psychological horror movie starring John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush, following a former judge who is confined to a secluded rest home after a debilitating stroke and is subsequently tormented by one of the residents there.
Premiering on Netflix is Plankton: The Movie, an animated musical comedy starring Mr. Lawrence and Jill Talley, putting the spotlight on the SpongeBob SquarePants supervillain as his plans for world domination are put to a halt when his computer wife decides to take charge.