A Review of ‘The Stress is Killing Me’: This college reunion makes for quite a raunchy romp
A group of college friends facing middle-age try to reinvent themselves during a reunion holiday.
‘The Stress is Killing Me’: This college reunion makes for quite a raunchy romp... with a heart
Cast: Grayson Berry, Carly Christopher, April Hartman, Theron LaFountain, Barry Landers, Lisa Lucas, Matthew Page, Crystal Thomas
Critic’s Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5
Director: Tom Carroll
Duration: 1 hour, 42 minutes
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Language: English
Release: 2024
What’s it about?
A group of college friends facing middle-age try to reinvent themselves during a reunion holiday.
Review:
Here is a lightweight but pretty engaging and often endearing comedy about an auspicious reunion of college-mates. Surprising humour is interspersed with occasionally predictable gags in this intense character study, where role-playing takes centre stage. However, the interesting premise of assuming alternate lifestyles wears a little thin towards an overly sentimental conclusion. Still, the evolution of the cast’s interactions, affections and emotions is intriguing all the way, while also evoking a healthy supply of laughs and heart-tugs. The audience is kept pondering whether old romances will be rekindled, if tension will taint current relationships and what nature of resolutions are set to emerge.
The Stress is Killing Me begins with eight friends from the Class of 2002 meeting up for the first time in 20 years. After some affable small talk and customary questions about work and family, the main organiser Sue (April Hartman) announces that she has rented the residential venue for a whole week so that the group can reconnect properly. A funny combination of sycophancy and backhanded compliments, as well as fond reminiscings, characterise the ensuing conversation. This, while phone-calls with clients and general talk helps establish each person’s job. But at the gathering’s first dinner, we learn that every guest dislikes his or her respective occupation. This induces Sue to challenge them all into assuming a more desirable livelihood over the course of their stay.
Thus, medical doctor Donna (Crystal Thomas) desires to be painter; the restaurateur Will (Barry Landers) wants to try his hand at cooking; lawyer Kiki (Carly Christopher) sees herself as a yoga instructor; Marcie (Lisa Lucas) wishes to swap manicuring for sex therapy, accountant Todd (Theron LaFountain) fancies being a film-maker; his wife Sue (April Hartman) prefers teaching English Lit to managing an office; advertising executive Jason (Grayson Berry) would rather be a police detective; and corporate officer Paul (Matthew Page) believes his true calling is to be a priest! Though passion undoubtedly goads each guest, do they have the skills for their new vocations? And more importantly, will they find suitable clients from among the rest of the group? An array of complications, frustrations and resentments follow – some more expected than others. This while sexual tensions run rampant, making for some raunchy encounters.
The group finds itself bonding better during its downtime - over such activities as drinking, sunbathing, playing games and watching movies. Meanwhile, they try hard to fit into the character of their new roles, even wearing outlandish costumes in some cases - like Paul’s constrictive clerical collar and Jason’s Bogart-like garb. The film’s writer-director Tom Carroll has an ear for droll spoken humour, like when we hear Jason tell Kiki: “I only exercise so I can eat more”. Also, it is clear that Carroll has put much thought into conjuring funny situations, though some are more obvious than others. A prank played on the oversexed Jason is perhaps the most effective. It is enthralling to watch how each floundering character endeavours to redeem themselves and the role that teamwork and intuition plays in doing so.
Though the overall plot, comedic tone and character development in this film is unique, movie aficionados might be induced to recall such earlier films as A Mid-Summer Night's Sex Comedy (1982), The Big Chill (1983), Impromptu (1991) and Fantasy Island (2020). While the acting in this film is fairly convincing and giggle-inducing, the saccharine smiles of Hartman and Christopher are overbearing at times. Also, more recollections of the group’s college life together would not have been out of place, especially going by a couple of odd and unexpected revelations at the film’s end. All in all however, if the ongoing stress in your life is killing you, then The Stress is Killing Me could present quite a suitable stress-buster.
