When it comes to the tried and tested buddy comedy, chemistry is key. Keke Palmer, arguably one of the most mega-wattage charm possessors currently working, and R&B music starlet SZA prove quite the dynamic duo in One of Them Days, an extremely spirited genre vehicle that they continually elevate when it occasionally gives in to its more exaggerated, expected narrative beats.
Adhering to the notion that “the struggle is real”, Dreux (Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) kick off Lawrence Lamont‘s wild ride on the backfoot. Behind on their rent, living in an apartment complex littered with faulty wiring and plumbing, and overseen by a landlord with no concept of boundaries, it’s about to be “one of them days” for the two. Informed that their eviction is imminent, Dreux and Alyssa have to conjure a plan to raise the rent money by 6pm, a task made all the more difficult due to Alyssa’s unreliable (and comically well-endowed) boyfriend, Keshawn (Joshua Neal), spending their rent on a failed business venture; evidently, one of many for the clueless himbo.
Despite identifying as Alyssa’s beau, Keshawn has another girlfriend in the erratic Berniece (Aziza Scott), and she’s only going to add to Dreux and Alyssa’s hectic day by hunting them down to settle overdue scores. Body slamming into parked cars, being electrocuted in an attempt to take down pricey shoes off a powerline, and causing a minor bloodbath at the local blood bank are just a slew of the overt set-pieces that Syreeta Singleton‘s script indulges in, with Palmer and SZA wholly committing to the cause throughout; their vanity never getting in the way of executing a good joke.
Whilst One of Them Days benefits from its extended ensemble – Maude Apatow has a lot of fun as a well-meaning, entirely out of touch new neighbour (this in itself providing subtle commentary on the tide of community gentrification), Katt Williams injects a certain wild energy as a street prophet of sorts, and Abbott Elementary scene stealer Janelle James makes the most of her limited minutes as the clueless nurse overseeing Dreux’s blood donation, which leads to the aforementioned bloodbath – Palmer and SZA are the anchors that Lamont’s film needs to keep it grounded.
And that’s ultimately what helps One of Them Days thrive as much as it does. Yes, it threatens to lose its way with some of its more over-the-top plot strands – there’s a whole thing regarding owing money to a local gangster that doesn’t quite feel as organic – but Dreux and Alyssa having financial struggles and worrying about their work placement speaks to a relatable, contemporary mentality that the film’s prime audiences are likely to resonate with.
Celebrating all the facets of friendship and one’s own survivalist instinct, One of Them Days is a charming, wild, yet ultimately sweet comedy that signals undeniable promise from Lamont as a director and Singleton as a screenwriter, whilst furthering the significant charm of Palmer and SZA, both individually and collectively.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
One of Them Days is screening in Australian theatres from March 6th, 2025.
