MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE

Name: MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE
Item: MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE
Author: Review

"Marred by Strong Foul Language"

Content: -2 Extreme caution for older teenagers and adults.

Entertainment Quality:

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

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What You Need To Know:

MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE blends dark comedy with beautiful emotional moments as it follows the story of a young veteran named Merit’s struggle to process the tragic death of her best friend along with their shared severe PTSD caused by war. At the same time, she has to figure out how to help care for her Alzheimer’s-afflicted grandfather. Can Merit break free of her depression and embrace life again? Will she be able to help her grandfather? And, will Merit ever be able to face the tragic secret she’s hiding from everyone?

The cast in MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE is a terrific blend of old and new talents. The movie is an impressive feat for first-time Director and Co-Writer Kyle Haussman-Stokes. Kyle based his movie on the PTSD struggles of himself and other veterans. MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE grabs viewers early. It has a powerful conclusion. Ultimately, it’s an uplifting tale of love, forgiveness and healing. However, the middle drags a bit, and there’s strong foul language and intense scenes. It’s still a good watch for adults, though, but with extreme caution.

Content:

(BB, C, PP, LL, V, A, D, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Strong moral worldview with some light redemptive content stresses forgiveness and healing, displays respect for family and elders, and has a patriotic view about the sacrifices American soldiers make for serving their country and risking their lives and wellbeing;

Foul Language:

About 24 obscenities (including 11 “f” words) and one GD profanity;

Violence:

A tragic death is implied and talked about;

Sex:

No sex;

Nudity:

No nudity;

Alcohol Use:

A few scenes of casual drinking in bars, and one woman gets boisterous in one scene because of drinking;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

Some casual tobacco smoking in two or three scenes, but no drugs; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

A woman shouts and makes a ruckus at PTSD meeting, but it’s a delusion of a military woman who’s suffering PTSD and hallucinates about her friend who died in war.

More Detail:

MY BEST FRIEND ZOE is a powerfully drawn movie about survivors’ guilt among those who have survived warfare, and focuses on a young veteran named Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green) and her best friend and fellow vet Zoe (Natalie Morales) as they navigate the terrors of PTSD through sisterly friendship and occasionally biting wit.

The two are first seen in 2016 Afghanistan, as they are mischievously enjoying alcoholic drinks that they’re hiding from their supervisors while on motor patrol. Their playful spirits in that moment sharply contrast with the fact they’re next seen in a present-day PTSD support group led by a wise old man named Dr. Cole, played by Morgan Freeman.

While most of the group interacts in depressed, quiet fashion, Zoe gets fed up with the suppressed emotions and leaps up, breaking into a sarcastic rant. However, viewers soon realize that neither Zoe nor anyone else is actually raising a ruckus, and that Zoe’s meeting attendance is a delusion of Merit.

Meanwhile, Merit faces another tough situation when her mother calls and tells her that her grandfather (Ed Harris) was found wandering far from home. She asks Merit to help her tale care of him. With this added weight upon her, Merit starts to break out of her denial and accepts Dr. Cole’s help.

The movie leaps back and forth between the present and the past, when Zoe brought a spark to Merit’s life with her unpredictable nature. However, even as Merit starts to get her life moving again by dating a man named Alex, the visions of Zoe keep haunting and taunting her.

Can Merit break free of her depression and embrace life again? Will she be able to help her grandfather be happy despite living with more old-age restrictions? And, will Merit ever be able to face the most tragic secret she’s hiding from everyone?

MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE is co-written (with A.J. Bermudez) and directed by Kyle Haussmann-Stokes, who makes an impressive feature film debut rooted in his own past as a veteran who battled PTSD. Kyle’s blessed with a great cast, blending the two young and largely unknown lead actresses with high-profile acting royalty in Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris.

Kyle also builds well upon the old adage “Write what you know,” by bringing vivid emotions to life in a cathartic movie that he notes also helped him heal from the mental and spiritual scars of war. The final act is extremely moving and had many in attendance at a film festival shedding tears. However, the middle of the movie detracts from the overall quality with a pace that’s too slow and lacking in important plot points.

That said, MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE’s often-bold approach to grief and recovery is a rewarding watch, especially for the millions of people who’ve suffer, or have seen a loved one, suffer from PTSD. But due to some strong foul language and emotionally troubling subject matter, MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE is only for adults exercising caution.