Category: Comedy
Written By: Shamar (Vibez) Binns Date: 01/20/25
One of Them Days
One of Them Days is a hilarious, refreshing, and genuinely heartfelt comedy powered by the incredible chemistry between Keke Palmer and SZA. The film follows two best friends and roommates, Dreux and Alyssa, as they race across Los Angeles attempting to replace their stolen rent money before they are evicted. What begins as a simple financial emergency quickly becomes one of the most chaotic days imaginable.
After discovering that Alyssa’s irresponsible boyfriend has taken their rent money, the two women must somehow find $1,500 before the end of the day. Every possible solution creates an even bigger problem, sending them through a series of increasingly ridiculous situations involving payday loans, blood donations, questionable business ideas, angry neighbors, and people they probably should have avoided.
Director Lawrence Lamont brings an energetic and colorful visual style to his feature-film debut. The movie moves quickly, but it never feels as though it is rushing past the friendship at the center of the story. Lamont understands that the comedy works because Dreux and Alyssa feel like real people instead of characters who exist only to move from one joke to another.
Lamont also makes Los Angeles feel like an essential part of the film. The apartment complex, neighborhood businesses, streets, and people surrounding Dreux and Alyssa create a community that feels alive. The city is not presented through expensive homes, celebrities, or glamorous locations. Instead, we experience Los Angeles through working-class women struggling to survive while still finding reasons to laugh.
Syreeta Singleton’s screenplay captures the exhausting reality of being one unexpected expense away from losing everything. Dreux and Alyssa are not irresponsible people living without consequences. They are working, dreaming, and attempting to build better futures, but the system surrounding them makes recovering from one mistake nearly impossible.
The movie finds humor in financial stress without dismissing how frightening that stress can be. A missing rent payment leads them toward predatory loans and increasingly desperate decisions. One of the funniest scenes involves Katt Williams warning them about the dangers of accepting a payday loan, and beneath the comedy is a very real criticism of businesses that profit from people who are already struggling.
Keke Palmer is completely in her element as Dreux. Her facial expressions, physical comedy, delivery, and natural charisma make even the smallest moments funny. Dreux is hardworking, organized, and focused on creating a better life, but the events of the day repeatedly test how much chaos she can handle before finally losing control.
Palmer also gives the character emotional depth. Dreux is not only worried about losing the apartment. She is attempting to prepare for a job interview that could change her future. Every new disaster threatens the opportunity she has worked toward, allowing the audience to understand why her frustration with Alyssa becomes so intense.
SZA is one of the movie’s biggest surprises as Alyssa. In her first feature-film role, she brings a relaxed, unpredictable energy that perfectly balances Palmer’s intensity. Alyssa is creative and free-spirited, but her lack of urgency frequently creates problems for both women. SZA makes those flaws frustrating without making the character unlikable.
The natural chemistry between Palmer and SZA carries the entire movie. They genuinely feel like friends who have lived together long enough to know exactly how to support, annoy, and challenge one another. Their conversations have an easy rhythm, and their arguments feel personal because the friendship underneath them is believable.
Their differences create much of the comedy. Dreux wants a plan, while Alyssa trusts that everything will somehow work out. Dreux thinks about consequences, while Alyssa follows whatever idea feels right in the moment. That contrast creates conflict, but it also demonstrates why their friendship works. Each woman possesses something the other needs.
The movie understands that friendship is not always comfortable. Sometimes loving someone means holding them accountable and telling them when their decisions are hurting the people around them. As the situation becomes more desperate, Dreux and Alyssa are forced to confront frustrations they have avoided discussing.
Their conflict gives the story emotional stakes beyond whether they can pay the rent. The apartment represents the life they have built together, but saving that home means nothing if their friendship does not survive the day. The movie allows them to become angry and disappointed without suggesting that one argument can erase years of love.
One of Them Days feels like Friday and Insecure had a baby. Like Friday, it takes a relatively simple neighborhood problem and allows it to grow into an unforgettable day filled with strange characters and escalating consequences. Like Insecure, it combines sharp humor with an honest portrayal of Black friendship, ambition, financial pressure, and life in Los Angeles.
That comparison does not mean the movie lacks its own identity. Dreux and Alyssa bring a specifically female perspective to the buddy-comedy formula. The story allows two Black women to be loud, ridiculous, vulnerable, angry, loving, and completely imperfect without reducing them to stereotypes.
The supporting cast adds even more personality. Katt Williams nearly steals every scene in which he appears, delivering warnings that are funny because they are also completely accurate. Janelle James, Lil Rel Howery, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Maude Apatow, and the rest of the ensemble help fill the neighborhood with memorable personalities.
The humor feels fresh because it comes from the characters and their circumstances. The movie does not depend only on references or celebrity cameos. A facial expression, awkward silence, terrible decision, or unexpected reaction can become just as funny as the larger comedic set pieces.
The pacing keeps the energy high throughout the film. Every time Dreux and Alyssa appear close to solving their problem, another disaster arrives. The race against the clock provides the story with constant momentum while the friendship keeps the chaos emotionally grounded.
The film occasionally relies on familiar friendship-movie tropes. We know that pressure will eventually create a major argument, force the characters apart, and lead them to recognize how much they mean to one another. Some of those emotional turns are predictable, but Palmer and SZA make them feel sincere.
Normally, that familiarity might lower my rating. However, One of Them Days is so entertaining, authentic, and full of personality that its predictable moments never ruin the experience. A movie does not have to reinvent every part of its genre when it executes the familiar pieces this well.
What makes the film special is the joy of watching Keke Palmer and SZA together. Their pairing feels effortless, and by the end, I immediately wanted another movie featuring Dreux and Alyssa. Whether they return for a direct sequel or reunite for something completely different, this duo deserves more opportunities to share the screen.
One of Them Days is also an important reminder that theatrical comedies still have a place on the big screen. Watching an audience laugh together creates an energy that cannot be recreated at home. The movie feels designed for that shared experience, with jokes and reactions that become even more enjoyable in a crowded theater.
With sharp writing, endless laughs, relatable struggles, and a friendship worth rooting for, One of Them Days is one of the most enjoyable comedies in years. Lawrence Lamont and Syreeta Singleton deliver a film that understands financial survival can be stressful, friendship can be messy, and sometimes all you can do is laugh through one of those days.
The familiar tropes keep it from being completely flawless, but the experience still earns five stars from me. Keke Palmer and SZA are irresistible together, and their chemistry transforms a chaotic race for rent money into a comedy filled with heart, authenticity, and unforgettable energy.