by Josh Sewell
My Dead Friend Zoe
(Rated R for language. Opens in select theaters on February 28.)
When it comes to military veterans, the entertainment industry doesn’t leave much room for subtlety. Films and television shows tend to be either a hagiography about those who serve or focus on how PTSD totally destroys their lives. That’s why I was a bit apprehensive when hitting play on my screener of My Dead Friend Zoe. Fortunately, the film from Kyle Hausmann-Stokes (a military vet making his feature debut with a story inspired by his own friends) eschews most of the overdone clichés that viewers have seen a million times before.
Instead, working from a screenplay he co-wrote with A.J. Bermudez (with a story credit by Cherish Chen), he focuses on the protagonist’s emotional journey as she makes it through everyday life. The dark dramedy centers on an Army Afghanistan vet named Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), whose trauma manifests itself through the presence of Zoe (Natalie Morales), the titular dead best friend she served with.
Despite some tough love from her VA group counselor (Morgan Freeman) and her workaholic mother (Gloria Reuben), Merit can’t move on due to her inability to let go of her troubled past with Zoe. But when her relationship with her grandfather (Ed Harris) and a potential new love interest (Utkarsh Ambudkar) come to the forefront, she must figure out how her past and future can coexist.
Although the plot doesn’t leave much room for surprises (aside from some misleading flashbacks), the performances from Martin-Green, Morales, Freeman and especially Harris make My Dead Friend Zoe an emotional powerhouse. Although it’s early in a lackluster year and we’re all tired of awards season talk, I’d love to see him make his way into the conversation for the next crop of Best Supporting Actor contenders.
Combine those elements with Matt Sakatani Roe’s beautiful cinematography and Dan Romer’s unobtrusive score, and the film ends up being remarkably poignant. My Dead Friend Zoe is currently scheduled to play in a handful of Atlanta theaters, but it’s worth the drive for a big screen experience. If nothing else, keep it in mind when it hits VOD and rental services in a few weeks.
Grade: B+
The Monkey
(Rated R for strong bloody violent content, gore, language throughout and some sexual references. Now playing in theaters.)
I wasn’t a big fan of Osgood Perkins’ recent film Longlegs, which put a supernatural spin on The Silence of the Lambs. It felt tonally inconsistent since the first two-thirds were such a compelling crime thriller, only to see everything fly off the rails in the ridiculous finale. Fortunately, his new horror comedy The Monkey takes that bonkers conclusion and stretches it out to an ultra-bleak, joke that spans decades.
Loosely based on Stephen King’s short story from his 1980s collection Skeleton Crew, the twisted tale centers on twin siblings (both played by Christian Convery) who find a mysterious gift their father left them before he split: a creepy wind-up monkey. When they turn the key, it results in a series of outrageous deaths, so they drop the toy down a well thinking they’ve solved the problem. Instead, the monkey begins a new killing spree 25 years later, forcing the estranged brothers (now played by Theo James) to confront their past.
Where Longlegs aimed for pure horror and missed the mark, Perkins succeeds with The Monkey because he goes nuts with gross-out comedy right from the start. I guess you could complain that a lack of sympathetic characters means the story doesn’t have any real stakes, but it’s not that kind of movie. Instead, it’s about crafting the most creative, mean-spirited kills possible.
The cast is terrific – everyone is on the same bonkers wavelength and modulates their performances accordingly. James is particularly strong (twice, in fact, as very different brothers), as is Tatiana Maslany as their ill-fated mother. Her deadpan delivery is the best kind of dry humor.
However, the most entertaining performances come from some very recognizable actors in small but pivotal roles. I don’t know what counts as a spoiler, so I’ll just say keep your eyes open and enjoy the craziness. The biggest downside of The Monkey is one of those surprises faces appears in the opening scene and makes it so wildly entertaining that it’s tough for the rest of the movie to compete.
Perkins also has a great ear for music, choosing some terrific doo-wop songs to give the proceedings an upbeat, intentionally dissonant feel. The filmmaker’s choices probably won’t be for everyone, but they’re a solid match for my dark sense of humor.
Grade: B
(Rated R for language. Opens in select theaters on February 28.)
When it comes to military veterans, the entertainment industry doesn’t leave much room for subtlety. Films and television shows tend to be either a hagiography about those who serve or focus on how PTSD totally destroys their lives. That’s why I was a bit apprehensive when hitting play on my screener of My Dead Friend Zoe. Fortunately, the film from Kyle Hausmann-Stokes (a military vet making his feature debut with a story inspired by his own friends) eschews most of the overdone clichés that viewers have seen a million times before.
Instead, working from a screenplay he co-wrote with A.J. Bermudez (with a story credit by Cherish Chen), he focuses on the protagonist’s emotional journey as she makes it through everyday life. The dark dramedy centers on an Army Afghanistan vet named Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), whose trauma manifests itself through the presence of Zoe (Natalie Morales), the titular dead best friend she served with.
Despite some tough love from her VA group counselor (Morgan Freeman) and her workaholic mother (Gloria Reuben), Merit can’t move on due to her inability to let go of her troubled past with Zoe. But when her relationship with her grandfather (Ed Harris) and a potential new love interest (Utkarsh Ambudkar) come to the forefront, she must figure out how her past and future can coexist.
Although the plot doesn’t leave much room for surprises (aside from some misleading flashbacks), the performances from Martin-Green, Morales, Freeman and especially Harris make My Dead Friend Zoe an emotional powerhouse. Although it’s early in a lackluster year and we’re all tired of awards season talk, I’d love to see him make his way into the conversation for the next crop of Best Supporting Actor contenders.
Combine those elements with Matt Sakatani Roe’s beautiful cinematography and Dan Romer’s unobtrusive score, and the film ends up being remarkably poignant. My Dead Friend Zoe is currently scheduled to play in a handful of Atlanta theaters, but it’s worth the drive for a big screen experience. If nothing else, keep it in mind when it hits VOD and rental services in a few weeks.
Grade: B+
(Rated R for strong bloody violent content, gore, language throughout and some sexual references. Now playing in theaters.)
I wasn’t a big fan of Osgood Perkins’ recent film Longlegs, which put a supernatural spin on The Silence of the Lambs. It felt tonally inconsistent since the first two-thirds were such a compelling crime thriller, only to see everything fly off the rails in the ridiculous finale. Fortunately, his new horror comedy The Monkey takes that bonkers conclusion and stretches it out to an ultra-bleak, joke that spans decades.
Loosely based on Stephen King’s short story from his 1980s collection Skeleton Crew, the twisted tale centers on twin siblings (both played by Christian Convery) who find a mysterious gift their father left them before he split: a creepy wind-up monkey. When they turn the key, it results in a series of outrageous deaths, so they drop the toy down a well thinking they’ve solved the problem. Instead, the monkey begins a new killing spree 25 years later, forcing the estranged brothers (now played by Theo James) to confront their past.
Where Longlegs aimed for pure horror and missed the mark, Perkins succeeds with The Monkey because he goes nuts with gross-out comedy right from the start. I guess you could complain that a lack of sympathetic characters means the story doesn’t have any real stakes, but it’s not that kind of movie. Instead, it’s about crafting the most creative, mean-spirited kills possible.
The cast is terrific – everyone is on the same bonkers wavelength and modulates their performances accordingly. James is particularly strong (twice, in fact, as very different brothers), as is Tatiana Maslany as their ill-fated mother. Her deadpan delivery is the best kind of dry humor.
However, the most entertaining performances come from some very recognizable actors in small but pivotal roles. I don’t know what counts as a spoiler, so I’ll just say keep your eyes open and enjoy the craziness. The biggest downside of The Monkey is one of those surprises faces appears in the opening scene and makes it so wildly entertaining that it’s tough for the rest of the movie to compete.
Perkins also has a great ear for music, choosing some terrific doo-wop songs to give the proceedings an upbeat, intentionally dissonant feel. The filmmaker’s choices probably won’t be for everyone, but they’re a solid match for my dark sense of humor.
Grade: B
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
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