One of Them Days (2025)

​"One of Them Days" stars Keke Palmer, SZA, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Maude Apatow, and Katt Williams.  Released on January 17, 2025, the film has two roommates attempting to avoid eviction from their apartment.

The film was directed by Lawrence Lamont, a music video director known for directing the short films "The Girls Bathroom" and "Say Cheese".  Lamont also directed four episodes of the television series "Rap Sh!t".  It's not often you'd have days that turn into complete nightmares.  But any bad day can become an adventure if you have a trustworthy friend by your side.  These two friends, in particular, certainly have one they'll never forget.  After enduring a few films from the horror and action departments, I decided to get a few laughs in this month before resorting to more intense content soon.  Fortunately, this weekend had this latest buddy comedy from producer Issa Rae to tide me over and even provide counter-programming for those uninterested in another "Wolf Man" iteration.  Does it deliver enough moments in its straightforward concept to warrant the main leads' involvement or make our bad day even worse?  Let's find out.

The story centers on waitress Dreux (Palmer) and aspiring artist Alyssa (SZA), two best friends who are also roommates in a rundown apartment complex.  As Dreux prepares for a crucial interview, they discover that Alyssa's boyfriend Keshawn (Joshua Neal) carelessly spent all their rent money investing in his T-shirt company.  This puts the two at risk of being evicted from the apartment they call home.  With the eviction within range and their credit scores low, Dreux and Alyssa travel across the city to earn the money needed to pay their rent.  This resulted in them getting into extreme situations that could test the bond of their friendship.  

Based on the marketing I watched, this seemed like one of the films that could go in either direction.  On the one hand, it could wind up being a genuine surprise that combines adult humor with fun antics and heart, similar to other buddy comedies it's inspired by.  On the other hand, it might become another victim of the January movie curse if the execution isn't handled properly.  However, there have been some occasions where a January movie managed to surpass people's low expectations, and based on the surprisingly strong word of mouth it got, "One of Them Days" looked to become another example of that, especially when up against "Wolf Man".  No joke, I did not expect this film to become a bigger critical hit compared to the promising Universal Monster reboot, as I expected it to be more of a mixed bag regarding its seemingly sitcom-ish plot and adult humor.  But, you know me, I always enjoy a good Hollywood-esque "David vs. Goliath" story every once in a while.  So now the important question I should answer is whether I feel the same about this latest buddy comedy.  Surprisingly, yes.

I'm serious, guys.  I was about ready to do a number on this film regarding its risqué comedy and straightforward narrative.  Instead, I found myself having one of the best times I had at a theater.  "One of Them Days" not only showcases the remarkable talents of its cast, mainly the leads, but it also serves as another strong addition to the buddy comedy formula revitalized by its humor and charisma.  Most people would call this film the female version of "Friday" regarding its hood aesthetics in the Black community.  But since I still haven't watched that movie yet (please don't hate me), I couldn't say whether I agree with them or not.  However, I would say that this film is definitely a surprise for me.  It may not be groundbreaking in its formulaic narrative, but it is another example of a formula done right.

One of the reasons for its success was Lawrence Lamont's direction.  "One of Them Days" serves as Lamont's feature directorial debut after helming several music videos and short films, which can be hit-or-miss depending on his vision.  Fortunately, Lamont managed to be on the former side of things, mainly due to his combination of heart and adult jokes.  Balance serves as the most crucial key element to making a successful R-rated comedy centering on specific topics, with this film portraying the "hood" side of the Black community.  While it may seem funny to take playful stabs at the community for its stereotypical characters, it's also important to stabilize them with a soulful charm so that its jokes relating to sex or stereotypes don't become overly tasteless, mean-spirited, and vulgar.  Believe me.  I've seen plenty of them that failed to deliver that balance, including last year's "The Underdoggs".  Luckily, Lawrence Lamont found the proper balance that sheds an amusing light and even honors this part of the community, even if a few jokes didn't land as hard as Alyssa landing on Dreux after getting electrocuted.  This will likely open the door for Lamont to tackle other projects like this if it does well at the box office.

In addition to its entertaining humor and energy, "One of Them Days" also packed enough heart in its plot and messages to emphasize the depth of the protagonists' seemingly one-note personalities.  Dreux is more of an uptight yet caring figure striving to make a brighter future for herself through her interview.  On the other hand, we have Alyssa, a laidback and sex-obsessed roommate whose lack of accountability puts the two in some troubling yet humorous predicaments.  The latter symbolizes the film's message of responsibility, in which Alyssa learns to be mature enough to redeem herself from her mistakes and make a better life for herself.  While straightforward at first, the duo's personalities possessed a surprising amount of charisma and endearment that mostly compensated for the screenplay's predictable outcomes.  More importantly, they resulted in some delightful moments that were more genuinely funny than offensively cringe, but again, a few of them didn't work for me as well as others.

But where does all of this charismatic charm come from, you ask?  Well, you should look no further than the amazing main leads who portrayed the protagonists: Keke Palmer and SZA.  After only knowing Palmer through "Jump In!" and the "Ice Age" sequels, I'm happy to see that she's continuing to make herself known as an actress through some of her mature roles.  Sure, she got into some recent animated features like "Lightyear" and "Under the Boardwalk", but regarding the live-action ones, Palmer is another actress who's seen as more than just a Disney celebrity.  Unsurprisingly, her role in "One of Them Days" is no exception, as Palmer's performance delivered a superb combination of humanity and sass to make Dreux a compelling protagonist.  I would even say it's her best performance since Jordan Peele's "Nope".  SZA also did surprisingly well in her feature film debut as Alyssa due to her ability to make the character's seemingly unlikable traits entertaining.  SZA could've wound up being another singer-turned-actor who's only there to market herself as an artist, but like the film, she managed to surpass my low expectations.  Katt Williams also provided some humorous moments as Lucky, a homeless man who follows Dreux and Alyssa around the city.  Aziza Scott also did a fine job making Berniece, a woman seeking revenge against the duo, an ungrateful butthole who deserves plenty of karma.

Overall, "One of Them Days" transforms this seemingly awful day into a straightforward and consistently fun adventure that revitalizes the endearing charm of the buddy comedy genre.  It's far from a masterpiece regarding its screenplay's predictability, and not all of the jokes worked as effectively as others.  However, when it comes to the execution of its plot and balance between adult humor and heart, the film has more than enough merits to avoid getting evicted by the January movie curse.  Keke Palmer and SZA are an excellent duo that makes every scene highly entertaining and genuinely funny, and Lawrence Lamont delivers a worthy sense of direction that respects the film's stereotypes through its comedy and compassion.  I guess you can say that it was a good day for me to be surprised by how it turned out.  I would highly recommend this film if you're a fan of buddy comedies, especially ones with female leads.  

B+