My Dead Friend Zoe

Directed by Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, My Dead Friend Zoe follows an army veteran (Sonequa Martin-Green’s Merit) as she attempts to move on with her life after returning home from battle. It’s familiar subject matter that is, for the most part, employed to decent-enough effect by Hausmann-Stokes, as the filmmaker, armed with his and A.J. Bermudez’s screenplay, delivers a sluggishly-paced drama that benefits from its raft of above-average performances – with Martin-Green’s first-class turn matched by eclectic periphery players such as Gloria Reuben, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Morgan Freeman. (Ed Harris, cast as Merit’s grumpy grandfather, offers up predictably intense work that remains a continuing highlight within the proceedings.) There’s little doubt, however, that My Dead Friend Zoe‘s overall impact is hampered significantly by the narrative’s rather (and palpably) generic bent, as Hausmann-Stokes rarely, if ever, deviates from the various beats and plot points one might’ve anticipated based on the setup – which, in turn, prevents the emotional revelations of the final stretch from packing the punch Hausmann-Stokes has surely intended. Still, My Dead Friend Zoe‘s strong acting and heartfelt atmosphere generally (and ultimately) prove effective at compensating for its less-than-fresh sensibilities. (This is despite a central gimmick, wherein Merit continually chats with a deceased soldier (Natalie Morales’ title figure), that never entirely works or even seems necessary.)

**1/2 out of ****