My Dead Friend Zoe is a Heartfelt Journey Through Trauma and Healing

My Dead Friend Zoe

★ ★ ★ ★

My Dead Friend Zoe is a fantastic film, both poignant and relevant. It’s heartbreaking, heartwarming, haunting, funny and very real. Sometimes, it’s all of these things in one scene. It’s already on my list as one of the best films of 2025.

Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green) served in the Army in Afghanistan and found a best friend while serving. Her friend is Zoe (Natalie Morales), and she is dead when the film starts. The beginning of the film has Merit in a group therapy session after she causes a forklift accident at work. She’s facing criminal negligence charges, having nearly killed a coworker. If she completes the group therapy, charges will be dropped.

Morgan Freeman as Dr. Cole
© 2025 Briarcliff Entertainment

The problem is, Merit has PTSD and sees, and interacts with, Zoe as if she’s really there. Merit isn’t ready to share at the group. The group leader, Dr. Cole (Morgan Freeman), refuses to sign off on Merit’s form until she shares what happened to her.

In addition, Merit’s mother, Kris (Gloria Reuben), is in Hong Kong on business when grandfather Dale (Ed Harris) is found wandering near a highway. He’s in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, and Kris needs Merit to look after him while she arranges an assisted living facility and finds a real estate agent to sell his lakeside cabin.

Ed Harris, Natalie Morales and Sonequa Martin-Green
© 2025 Briarcliff Entertainment

Dale refuses to sell and there’s no way in hell he’s going to a facility. So he thinks.

Merit tries to navigate helping her grandfather, pleasing her mother and facing the pain and remorse she feels about Zoe’s death.

This movie is so well done, from acting to writing to directing, it’s easy to get lost in the story.
Freeman is on top of his game here, at once a sympathetic therapist who will hold his patients accountable for their treatment. Harris is incredibly convincing as Dale as he struggles with the threat of losing his home and independence. His performance is real, raw and visceral.

Sonequa Martin-Green and Natalie Morales
© 2025 Briarcliff Entertainment

Martin-Green turns in a star performance, thoroughly convincing through the vast range of emotions her character experiences. She nailed this performance, making Merit come to life in such a way you’d swear you know this person.

This is a wonderful movie, heartfelt and beautifully crafted. I highly recommend you see it.