Everyone once in a while, a movie comes along where you find yourself enjoying it so much, you feel like you’re right in the mix. One of Them Days does exactly that as it plays out more like a time we can relate to rather than a movie. Keke Palmer and Grammy-Award-winning artist, SZA, play two best friends, Dreux and Alyssa, who find themselves in a bit of a situation when they are pressed to come up with their rent money after Alyssa’s boyfriend spent it. They have the rest of the day to get it all to their landlord or else they face eviction. Both girls are down on their luck financially with Alyssa (SZA) being an aspiring painter and Dreux (Palmer) working at a diner.
To make matters worse, they are racing against the clock to also have Dreux ready to go for an interview for a big girl job that she has the same day. We are taken through a non stop belly laughing time through the chaos the girls go through as the universe throws everything but the kitchen sink at them. The cast is comprised of some familiar faces including Vanessa Bell Calloway, Lil Rel Howery, Katt Williams, Maude Apatow, Janelle James, and an absolute stand out performance from social media breakout, Joshua David Neal.
Directed by Lawrence Lamont, written by Syreeta Singleton, and produced by the talented Issa Rae, One of Them Days is a R-rated comedy that is destined to be an instant cult classic. Imagine if we had a female version of Friday (which it is already gaining many comparisons to the comedy from 30 years ago), this would be it, especially given the California setting. It’s a semi-raunchy, Black to the core chick flick that embraces what life is like in the hood in every form of the word.
From a tenant doing hair in the courtyard to a snack lady that lives in the building, the film stays true to its roots, with Rae mentioning in a recent interview for the film’s press run, “Fighting to have this movie shot in LA which was huge for us and shout out to Sony for allowing us to do so… it would have broke my heart if you were like ‘They not really on Crenshaw, where is this at?’…”
Besides the location being a big contributing factor to what makes the film so authentic, the relatable scenarios of a toxic boyfriend (Neal) and being low on cash when rent is due are just a piece of the pie. The deep friendship between Dreux and Alyssa is tested when fingers start to get pointed at each other during the blame game for their role in the whole situation. In a full audience, there were many times you’d catch head nods at things that were said or events that happened because we’ve all been there.
While Palmer is no stranger to the big screen with many hit films and even had her own talk show, SZA’s performance is to be highly commended as she held her own on screen as the second lead. This is wildly impressive as it’s her first feature film and you would not be able to tell that at all. It’s fair to say that the character she plays is more of a realistic person rather than a fictionalized character. She’s a super supportive best friend that has a ton of peronsonality and will go to war for you at the drop of a hat.
Regardless of why the role may have been simple to play, SZA is so much fun and a highlight of the film, definitely making her massive fan base extremely proud. One thing about Palmer that has come be very special is her ability to deliver some of the biggest laughs so effortlessly. She is just so naturally funny that the jokes and punchlines she bursts out with don’t even seem written, rather they come off as improvised or just natural reactions to the situations she finds herself in. I forever stand of the hill of Palmer being one of the most underrated actresses of our time, and a true gem in the world of Black Hollywood. The real kicker is she is only 31 years old and has accomplished so much that it’s a solid bet that she will continue to have a long lasting career ahead of her.
While the world may feel a way about influencers or folks that grew famous from social media, it is without question that there are some extremely talented individuals that are using the platform to gain attention for the right reasons. With over 1.3 million followers on TikTok (which it seems he recently removed a lot of his content), Neal has had us laughing at his videos for years and it is really dope that he was cast in the film because he is so deserving of the recognition as he has been at his craft for a long time. Overall, One of Them Days is sure to be a fan fave because of the thrill it brings through the wild ride the girls take us on. The realness of every aspect make it more than a film, it’s a day in the life of some stuff that can really pop off in LA any given day. It’s safe to say Palmer and SZA are the duo we never knew we needed on screen. To see more of our reviews on movies out this year check out the link Best Movie Critic Site.
And also out our interviews below with the cast and director below:
One of Them Days premieres in theaters January 17th.