My Dead Friend Zoe

by Mike McGranaghan

The title and poster of My Dead Friend Zoe make it sound like a comedy. To a degree, it sort of is, since the topics of death and grief are handled with an intermittently irreverent tone. Director/co-writer Kyle Hausmann-Stokes has a plan. By going the opposite route from brazen sentimentality, the movie is able to build to a conclusion that packs an emotional wallop.

Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green) has been court-ordered to attend group therapy sessions. Moderator Dr. Cole (Morgan Freeman) can’t get her to open up and is frustrated by her lack of engagement. All he knows is that she was an Army mechanic stationed in Afghanistan who is distraught over the death of her friend and fellow solider Zoe (Natalie Morales). When her cantankerous grandfather Dale (Ed Harris) starts experiencing worsening dementia, Merit goes to stay with him at his lake house. She’s running from the problem, only to gradually discover that it cannot be evaded.

Humor in the film comes from the conceit that Merit sees and speaks to Zoe. It’s not funny on her end; it’s funny in that Zoe is a master of sarcasm who cracks morbid jokes about her own death, among many other things. Whenever Merit gets mired in self-sorrow, Zoe attempts to yank her out of it with comically blunt talk. Through this process, along with flashbacks to their time in the service, we grasp the nature of the friendship between the women, which in turn provides greater understanding of what Merit has lost.

The story keeps the exact nature of Zoe’s passing a mystery until the conclusion. That approach replicates the way people sometimes use humor as a defense mechanism. We laugh at the interactions between the friends, but the laughter keeps us from facing the pain that is looming. Like Merit, we cannot avoid it permanently. To the picture’s credit, when the specifics are revealed, they play with authenticity. No cheap manipulation here, just a heartbreaking revelation of the emotional baggage Merit has been carrying around. Keep tissues handy.

Performances in My Dead Friend Zoe are outstanding across the board. Ed Harris is reliable as ever, playing the old-school grandfather who doesn’t accept the concept of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, as is Morgan Freeman as the patient therapist. Natalie Morales exudes the right kind of acerbic wit as Zoe. She avoids making the character a gimmick, bringing an abundance of humanity to the role. And speaking of humanity, Sonequa Martin-Green has it in spades. Arguably best known for her work on The Walking Dead, she gives a commanding performance here that deserves to shoot her to the top of the cinematic A-list. The actress is raw and real, making every emotion Merit has something you can feel in your soul.

There’s a hidden theme in the film that doesn’t become apparent until the last minute or two. My Dead Friend Zoe was inspired by actual events, a fact that’s presented during the end credits in a slightly awkward manner that detracts from our focus on the journey we’ve just seen Merit take. The message remains important, though, and this touching story presents it with sensitivity and enjoyably dark-edged wit.

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