2020 Realness

It's 2020 (shivers) and Terry Goon is attempting and typically failing to keep a stringent quarantine in his ex-boyfriend's brownstone in New York City while looking after his 19-year old nephew, a design from Morocco named Bahlul left immobile after an electric scooter mishap. An indication of the times.

When Terry isn't scrubbing down his door handles, he's trying to keep his posse of gay good friends from fulfilling his design nephew. He also stops working at that.

Stress Positions is not a motion picture about COVID. In fact, the pandemic is merely a backdrop that produces some hilarious scenarios..

Between begrudgingly banging pots and pans out house windows, uncomfortable DoorDash encounters and desperately putting masks on, Stress Positions is a 2020 postcard that nobody actually asked for or even desired however I liked it. A lot.

Starring as Terry's good friend Karla-- and writing the film-- is the irreverent comedian and co-host of the podcast NYMPHOWARS, Theda Hammel. If you've listened to NYMPHOWARS, it's difficult to think of that Hammel is even playing a character, she's just her outrageously funny self.

Terry, played by Search Party star John Early, is neurotic, irritating and the ideal foil to counteract Hammel. Qaher Harhash, a Palestinian design makes his acting launching as Bahlul, the shy design whose journey of self and sexuality discovery adds a level of depth to the movie making it more than a poke at the pandemic. Harhash's performance is subtle however effective at peering into the lens of a curious newbie who is greeted with open arms by his uncle's queer community.

The writing, though, is what grabs me in Stress Positions. Hammel is witty, original and above all real to the queer community she's discussing. You can stream Stress Positions on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Apple Television, Fandango in your home and Google Play Movies and Television.