My Dead Friend Zoe

A U.S. Army Afghanistan veteran is at odds with her estranged Vietnam Veteran grandfather and her VA counselor. All thanks to the presence of her dead best friend from the Army. ==Cast==

• Sonequa Martin-Green as Merit • Natalie Morales as Zoe • Ed Harris as Dale • Morgan Freeman as Dr. Cole • Gloria Reuben as Kris • Utkarsh Ambudkar as Alex • Thom Tran as Rufus • Barbara Lusch as Conductor ==Production==

Kyle Hausmann-Stokes directed the film in his feature debut. Radiant Media Studios brought Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce to the project as an executive producer. Legion M co-financed under their crowdfunding model. In May 2023, it was reported that Ed Harris, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Natalie Morales were cast in the film. In June 2023, it was announced that Morgan Freeman, Gloria Reuben, and Utkarsh Ambudkar joined the cast in main roles. Filming occurred in Portland, Oregon, Forest Grove, Oregon and Molalla, Oregon in 2023. In September 2023, it was announced that filming wrapped. By January 2024, Dan Romer was composing the film's score. ==Release==

My Dead Friend Zoe premiered at South by Southwest on March 9, 2024, where it won the Audience Award. In June 2024, Briarcliff Entertainment acquired the film. On October 19, it won the Grand Jury prize for Best Feature Narrative at the Woodstock Film Festival. It was theatrically released in the United States on February 28, 2025. ==Reception==

Critical response Valerie Complex of Deadline Hollywood called the film "a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit." Matt Donato of Collider praised Martin-Green's performance, while Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com also commended Harris, describing him as "one of our best living actors" in the supporting cast. Variety ranked My Dead Friend Zoe as one of the 10 Best Films of 2025. ==References==