Writer/director Kyle Hausmann-Stokes is making his feature directorial debut with My Dead Friend Zoe, which made a splash at last year’s South by Southwest film festival, and for some reason took almost a year to make it to American movie theaters. It’s regrettable because this is a film that will speak to so many Americans who have served in combat, and even those who haven’t. And the theatrical release this film is receiving won’t bring it in front of enough audiences, and it’s being advertised all wrong. But I’m hoping the people who need this movie eventually find it. My Dead Friend Zoe is an emotionally charged drama about PTSD, but one that has a light touch and can be helpful for a number of audiences.

Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green) is an Afghanistan combat veteran who has returned home with severe PTSD. Her friend Zoe (Natalie Morales) died in combat, and Merit is still seeing her everywhere. She kind of acts as Merit’s shadow or her conscience, giving her advice whether or not the situation calls for it. Merit is taking part in a court-mandated support group run by Dr. Cole (Morgan Freeman), and she is hesitant to talk about her trauma. She gets a call from her mother (Gloria Reuben) who informs that her grandfather (Ed Harris), a Vietnam veteran, isn’t doing well and that Merit must take him to an assisted living facility. She strikes up a friendship/possible romance with Alex (Utkarsh Ambudkar) who runs the retirement home. And through it all, Zoe’s shadow prevails and Merit struggles to confront her trauma.

I’d heard going into My Dead Friend Zoe that this was a film about a serious subject that has a surprisingly biting sense of humor. There is definitely less comedy than I was expecting here, and I’m not sure the film has much of a comedic side. There are no big laughs, but how could there be? There are moments of levity and grace, but at the end of the day this is a serious story about trauma and the way grief manifests itself. And there’s – not exactly a twist, maybe a third act reveal – that completely gutted me. If you’re chuckling and enjoying the repartee between Merit and Zoe in act one, you’ll be a helpless puddle of tears by act three.

Sonequa Martin-Green is not an actress I’d seen previously. You might be familiar with her work on The Walking Dead, or Star Trek: Discovery. But having been the first time I saw her, I was absolutely blown away by what she accomplishes here. There is such an emotional specificity and nuance in what this character isn’t saying, and the way Martin-Green plays this is astounding. For a younger, lesser-known actress to completely dominate the screen in every moment, in a film also starring Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris, feels like quite the achievement. The emotional journey of this story would be a lot for any actor to play, and she makes it look effortless.

In the supporting cast, we have Natalie Morales, who is always great, and is mostly used here for comedic relief. But once we get to learn more about her character’s internal demons, Morales is totally up for the challenge of playing something more emotionally complex. Morgan Freeman isn’t in much of this, he probably showed up to set for a couple days, but it’s always great to see him and he infuses this story with his signature wisdom and wit. Ed Harris is doing some fine, quietly impactful work here as well. But ultimately this is a showcase for the work Sonequa Martin-Green is doing, and what a showcase!

As stated previously, My Dead Friend Zoe is writer/director Kyle Hausmann-Stokes’ debut feature film, cowritten with A. J. Bermudez. He’s stated how this film is inspired by people he knew while he spent five years serving as a paratrooper and convoy commander in Iraq. The film is based on a short film he made about these characters in 2022, and you can feel the personal touch and care for these characters in pretty much every scene. The filmmaking is pretty standard stuff – not much to talk about in the score or cinematography, but considering how impactful this screenplay and these performances are, it doesn’t need much more than that.

My Dead Friend Zoe manages to succeed as both a narrative character study and a piece of advocacy filmmaking. It’s an effective drama and a powerful rallying cry. We end with some interview moments with the cast and crew promoting the film’s thesis statement – that even if you aren’t a veteran, it’s possible you’re dealing with something traumatic. This film wants to erase the stigma we feel about trauma and encourage people to talk about it. And I feel like that’s an incredibly important message that can hit just about any viewer. And that message wouldn’t come across as clearly if this script and these performances were not as strong as they are. My Dead Friend Zoe is an almost essential story about healing and the resilience of the human spirit. And if even one person – veteran or not – sees this film and finds something to connect with in it, and is encouraged to talk about their trauma, all will have been worth it.