'My Dead Friend Zoe' Delivers an Eye-Opening Message for Military Veterans

"My Dead Friend Zoe" -- a film that underscores the importance of talking about traumatic experiences as a way to process pain -- brings together an ensemble cast, strong direction, and heartfelt storytelling to shed light on what life is like for many veterans.

The film is a powerful story of coming to terms with trauma, marked by excellent performances, touching dramatic moments, and well-placed humor. Director Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, who co-wrote the film, served in the U.S. Army in Iraq and draws on those experiences to weave a tale of camaraderie, grief and resilience.

"My Dead Friend Zoe" marks Hausmann-Stokes' major directorial debut and earned the Audience Award at the 2024 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival in Austin, Texas. The movie centers on Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green, "Star Trek: Discovery"), who suffers from PTSD stemming from her deployment to Afghanistan and is haunted by the specter of Zoe (Natalie Morales, "Grey's Anatomy"), a fellow soldier with whom she served.

Merit attends a veterans therapy group led by Dr. Cole (Morgan Freeman, "The Shawshank Redemption"), which eventually helps her make peace with her trauma. While Merit navigates her own struggles, her grandfather Dale (Ed Harris, "Apollo 13") is diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease, and her mother, Kris (Gloria Reuben, "ER"), convinces her to go stay with him.

Hausmann-Stokes keeps the veteran characters grounded and present in a way that lingers with the audience, offering a realistic portrayal of how someone who has endured the mental toll of war might respond in everyday situations.

Martin-Green delivers a powerful, nuanced, and honest performance throughout the film's 1-hour, 43-minute runtime. Her portrayal of heartbreak is raw and deeply believable -- as real as any veteran I've known. We witness both her strength and her struggle. Even the humorous moments are handled with dignity and restraint, keeping her character grounded and fully human.

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The audience follows Merit on her journey stateside as she adjusts to civilian life. Processing her trauma proves difficult, even with Dr. Cole holding her accountable and encouraging her to face her demons. Her guilt and pain are palpable and deeply relatable as she struggles to forgive herself for what happened to Zoe, making it hard for her to stay present. Zoe's strong influence on Merit -- and her dark, sarcastic humor -- come through clearly during a phone call with Merit's mother, when she learns about her grandfather's condition.

We are introduced to grumpy, likable, and grounded Dale when Merit arrives at his beautiful lakeside home. While serene, the setting offers no escape from her pain, as Zoe's ghost continues to follow her. A decorated Vietnam veteran with PTSD, Dale -- who refuses to accept his Alzheimer's diagnosis -- struggles to cope with his own regrets and to meaningfully engage with others.

Harris, a four-time Academy Award nominee, delivers a nuanced performance that will have most veterans convinced he not only served, but is just that much of a hard-ass with a heart. Merit does her best to abide by his rules while navigating tension with Zoe and her mother. Even in the mountains, she runs daily to process her grief, and Dale perceptively senses that something is troubling her.

The casting of Harris and Freeman only elevates the already strong performances from Martin-Green and Morales, while Reuben holds her own with depth and poise.

Martin-Green comes across as fun, energetic, and witty, especially in her scenes with Alex, played by experienced comedic actor Utkarsh Ambudkar ("Pitch Perfect"). Alex works at the rest home where Dale may eventually reside, and he strikes up a conversation with Merit, leading to an evening out. They play shooting arcade games and share some fun, endearing moments -- with Merit proving herself a resident badass at the controls. While Alex is both intimidated and intrigued by her skills, Merit plays it humble and low-key, which feels authentic to how many veterans might act in that situation.

The two also share darker, more serious scenes, moments best left for the audience to experience for themselves.

The film's overarching message -- that we must talk about trauma -- and its realistic portrayals of veterans resonate on many levels. Watching it brought back memories from my own military service, memories that are important and deserve to be remembered with care: friends and comrades lost, some of whom never had the chance.

The movie -- on which Kansas City Chiefs tight end (and Taylor Swift's boyfriend) Travis Kelce is credited as an executive producer -- earns a full four (out of four) Red Star Clusters on my ratings scale. Two respected military nonprofits, The Mission Continues and the Bob Woodruff Foundation, partnered with "My Dead Friend Zoe" to help raise awareness.

"My Dead Friend Zoe" is available for streaming on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Fandango, and Google Play.

If you or someone you know is a veteran experiencing a mental health emergency, help is available. Call the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1. You can also text 838255 or chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net.

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