One of Them Days

One of Them days is an extremely fun, lively buddy comedy that thrives on the undeniable chemistry between Keke Palmer and SZA. Their dynamic friendship feels so effortless and natural that it feels like watching real-life best friends navigate a hilariously chaotic day. Feature film debutant director Lawrence Lamont and screenwriter Syreeta Singleton keep things simple, allowing the leads to shine while weaving in themes of socio-economic struggles, gentrification, and the importance of friendship. The one-day storytelling structure maintains the pacing brisk and the comedic moments fresh, making for an entertaining ride from start to finish. While it doesn't reinvent the genre, One of Them Days succeeds in delivering exactly what it sets out to - a feel-good, energetic experience packed with heart and humor. The stakes may be relatively low, but the infectious energy of the performances and the overall positive messages make it a joy to watch. It's the kind of movie that leaves you smiling, even if it doesn't linger in your mind for too long. Solid, enjoyable, and effortlessly charming, it’s a great pick for when you just want to have a good time. Rating: B

'One of Them Days' is held together nicely by Keke Palmer and SZA, who elevate an otherwise potentially forgettable film into a certainly good one. Them two ensure there is plenty of amusement throughout, those on the cast behind them also bring satisfactory performances. The plot is probably what you'd expect, given the title. It most certainly is one of them days for the characters involved. The 90 minute run time was a perfect choice, if it went on any longer then it would've dragged - but, thankfully, it didn't. It isn't a deep movie, simply an entertaining one.

“Dreux” (Keke Palmer) is a popular waitress in a diner who comes home to discover that her loved-up roomie “Alyssa” (SZA) has managed to give the rent money to her flakey but very well endowed boyfriend “Keshawn” (Joshua David Neal) who has gone and bought some acrylic T-shirts with it. The landlord is a ruthless fellow who wants his cash or else they are out so now they have less than a day to raise the $1,500 and when they can’t even get a payday loan, have to think on their feet! What now ensues is really nothing original and follows the usual will they, won’t they get the money and/or have a row in the process. Will their lifelong friendship endure the dopiness of “Alyssa”? Oh, and there’s also the hunky but enigmatic “Maniac” (Patrick Cage) to keep some sense of mystery bubbling along for a “Dreux” who also has a job interview to fit into all this freneticism too! The script has it’s moments, but there just weren’t enough of them as they constantly managed to go from frying pan to fire and aside from a ballsy effort from Kayla Mejia having a giggle at their credit scores and from Morgan Peter Brown’s sagely but homeless “Norman” pointing out that a 1900% APR is not a good thing, then the rest of this just comes home to momma. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood, but this is just another mediocre American buddy movie than I will never remember.