New Mexico. For their 20th college reunion, eight ex-students rent a house for the week, but confide they do not like their jobs. As a dare, they all decide to try out their dream jobs for a week. Kiki, who still has a crush on Jason, wants to try it out as a yoga teacher. Jason tries out to be a private detective, but nobody wants to hire him online. Todd tries it out as a film director, but is not satisfied with his friends as actors, nor with the budget. Will owns five restaurants, but doesn't know how to cook, so he wants to try it out, but his meals are terrible. Marcie tries it out as a sex therapist, Paul as a priest. Eventually, they all give up. However, Todd makes a charming video about his love for his wife Sue, which saves their marriage. Will learns how to cook decently. Marcie saves her own sex life by falling in love with Paul.
A harmless, mild comedy on the rift between dreams and affordable jobs, independent film "The Stress is Killing Me" is not that inspired, and is overall more sympathetic in its characters than it is truly funny. The concept of eight ex-students trying out their dream jobs for a week is interesting, but not that well developed, since they only try it out inside the safety of their circle of this rented house, instead of actually trying it out in the real world, with people outside their comfort zone. As such, the flaw in the concept is that they just create an echo chamber where they praise each other, which doesn't quite lead to some outrageously spicy situations that the viewers hoped for. The most was achieved from the cast, who are enthusiastic in their roles, especially Carly Christopher as Kiki, who loosens up her uptight attitude. There is too much empty walk and too little successful jokes that really ignite the comic mood, but some do manage to stand out. There are several charming jokes in the movie, and in one of them Paul tries out his dream job as a priest and tries to hold a sermon in front of his seven friends: "Jesus died for our sins. Did it work? Let's say he nailed it!" In another, Donna reads out online reviews of her attempts at a painting: "If that's fruit, my ass is a grapefruit", while Marcie admits she is not a good sex therapist: "The only person I'm having sex with right now is myself." The conclusion that sometimes even dream jobs are not what we truly hoped for, but that they still manage to help us out in little solutions in the real world is interesting, which compensates for some lesser moments.
Grade:++
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