One of Them Days is the kind of comedy Hollywood used to make regularly. The film keeps the premise simple and trusts the characters to react in funny ways. Even though it is more of a rarity in today’s IP landscape, One of Them Days proves that comedy especially need not be overthought.
Dreux (Keke Palmer) works night shifts at Norm’s diner and is trying for a promotion to franchise manager. Her roommate, Alyssa (SZA), is an artist with no income. When Alyssa’s boyfriend, Keshawn (Joshua David Neal) steals their rent money for his own hare-brained scheme, their landlord, Uche (Rizi Timane), threatens to evict them if they don’t have $1,500 by 6 p.m.
That premise is no high-concept sensation. Rather, it is the simple premise that fueled many of the great comedies. They need X amount of money by X time. Happy Gilmore played golf to raise enough money. Tommy Boy sold brake pads. Deuce Bigelow, for better or worse, prostituted himself. The comedy is in the schemes Dreux and Alyssa pull to make quick money, and Syreeta Singleton’s script invents plenty of memorable shenanigans.
They begin by looking for Keshawn. He’s cheating on Alyssa with Berniece (Aziza Scott), who becomes a nemesis throughout the day. Now Berniece is following them, on top of their original problem. The women try sketchy cash-advance loans and then giving blood, which turns into a messy set piece, executed with as much in-your-face fluid as gross-out classics like There’s Something About Mary or Monty Python’s Mr. Creosote sketch.
The physical comedy is the strongest element of One of Them Days. Not only do Dreux and Alyssa keep taking more dangerous risks, but even their basic reactions to situations elevate the humor. Dreux dances in the street to motivate herself, and Palmer commits to it. She feeds Alyssa chicken, and SZA milks all the comedy possible from biting chicken fingers. Scott gets in on the physical comedy too by doing the Tom Cruise run as she gives chase.
The film’s verbal comedy draws on a familiarity between the characters. Early scenes establish a neighborhood full of characters who know one another. As such, when a supporting character acts up, Dreux or Alyssa can rib them, but not too viciously. The characters never feel mean. One of Them Days also harkens back to Friday as a day in the life of a neighborhood where wacky things happen between wacky characters.
Angelenos will recognize the geography of One of Them Days, as it cites specific streets and landmarks. Norm’s and Church’s Chicken are real local spots, and streets La Brea, Hillcrest and Crenshaw get name-checked. The rest of the world might not know or care, but the specificity makes the daylong misadventure authentic.
A specific neighborhood houses specific residents so that everyone Dreux and Alyssa encounter, even briefly, is memorable. The drive-thru clerk (Tony Baker) at Church’s has an attitude about getting into his customers’ business, yet that doesn’t stop him. A homeless man named Lucky (Katt Williams) warns the roommates about the cash-advance place and shows up periodically to support them.
Director Lawrence Lamont guides the comedy through this neighborhood with impeccable timing, especially in a recurring drive-thru gag. The film introduces all of the neighbors and the issues with Uche’s building that are going to pay off later in the film. Another nice touch is a timestamp that appears on screen periodically to show how much time Dreux and Alyssa have left, ramping up the intensity as they get more desperate.
One of Them Days chooses moments of sincerity carefully but succeeds in navigating those tonal shifts. When Dreux interviews for the manager job, she genuinely wants the opportunity, not just the pay raise, and she has good ideas. The obligatory scene where Dreux and Alyssa air out all of their frustrations with each other makes legitimate points on both sides. It’s earned, but the scene is also only there to get their friendship to the next stage.
One of Them Days is an affable romp that engenders joy on first viewing, but it feels like the kind of movie that will benefit most from repetition. After repeat viewings on cable TV, streaming or whichever home format survives, fans could start memorizing and quoting lines. Palmer and SZA’s physicality is inimitable though, and makes them an endearing comedy duo.
Title: One of Them Days
Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing
Release date: January 17, 2025
Director: Lawrence Lamont
Screenwriter: Syreeta Singleton
Cast: Keke Palmer, SZA, Joshua David Neal, Rizi Timane, Aziza Scott, Tony Baker, Katt Williams
Rating: R
Running itme: 1 hr 37 mins