One of Them Days

One of Them Days (2025) is a movie my wife and I watched in theaters tonight. The storyline follows two best friends living together in an apartment where rent is due on the 1st. When one of their boyfriends blows the rent money on a bad investment, they're left scrambling to find the cash within nine hours or risk having their belongings thrown into the streets. How can they make that much money in such a short time while maintaining their dignity? Spoiler: they can't.

This film is directed by Lawrence Lamont, in his major motion picture debut, and stars Keke Palmer (Nope), SZA (Insecure), Lil Rel Howery (Get Out), Katt Williams (Friday After Next), and Ray Santiago (Ash vs Evil Dead).

This was a very fun movie. The characters, settings, and humor reminded me of the classic Friday films in many ways. The comedy delivery is subtle, but the payoff is hilarious and clever. The film strikes a nice balance between slapstick, witty one-liners, and situational humor, keeping the laughs coming from the opening scene to the closing credits. It also delivers meaningful, indirect messages about friendship, self-confidence, and resilience, all tied together with a satisfying full-circle ending.

In conclusion, One of Them Days is a refreshing and entertaining addition to the comedy genre. I'd give it a 7/10 and strongly recommend it.

"One of Them Days" is a fun, chaotic romp with vibrant visuals and quirky characters. The story balances humor and heart, exploring themes of friendship and community, though it sometimes stretches believability. I didn't know the cast except for Keka Palmer and Lil Rel, but everyone played their roles well, and SZA brought the heat. Stereotyped characters like Alyssa and Berniece shine, while Dreux is less engaging. Strong performances, amusing dialogue, and colorful design and clothes keep the energy high. It's not groundbreaking, but offers an entertaining experience worth a rewatch or two.

I have a great appreciation for Keke Palmer; she has truly blossomed into a talented and beautiful young woman. That drove me to watch her in a comedic role, hoping to see her shine. While I managed to find a few moments that made me chuckle, I found myself largely waiting for a genuine laugh throughout the film that never happened.

Unfortunately, it struggled to create a cohesive comedic experience, with humor primarily relying on niche references that didn't resonate with me. Additionally, the awkward pacing often disrupted the flow of the jokes, diminishing their overall effectiveness. To be honest, the film's tone was disappointing, and much of the humor felt outdated. Ultimately, the comedy just fell flat for me.

'One Of Them Days (2025)' follows two best friends and roommates, Dreux (social anxiety final boss Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (Bill-killing international popstar SZA), who find themselves hours from eviction when Alyssa's well-endowed but generally no-good boyfriend runs off with their rent money. Taking inspiration from slightly absurd hangout films such as 'Friday (1995)', the feature presents a mixture of situational humour and ridiculous antics as its mostly real-time events play out like a series of skits comprising, well, one of them days. It's rarely outright funny, but it's often amusing and generally charming. The performers all understand the assignment, working in tandem to craft a tapestry of quirky characters and an ever-so-slightly unreal atmosphere that keeps the film feeling fresh even as it depicts ostensibly mundane activities and runs through its genre's expected tropes. For me, it isn't quite distinct or engaging as I'd like, and it generally just isn't quite my thing for reasons I'm not even all that sure of. It's fun enough for what it is, but it never quite hits that sweet spot of absurdist comedy that it kind of promises to. Still, it's an easy-to-watch and typically entertaining experience. It's decent.

If you have seen the trailer for One Of Them Days, you know what you are going to see, but that is a good thing. The movie delivers on what it promises. There are no big fall out of your seat laughs (well, maybe one), but there are a bunch of good laughs, and overall, this is a fun movie. Also had some nice touching moments between to longtime friends.

Palmer and SZA have great chemistry together. SZA in particular, was great. She was funny and charismatic. You are just kind of drawn to her every time she is on screen. Palmer anchors the film and is in virtually every scene and she does a good job.

The film doesn't break any new ground on the "someone's life falls apart over the course of one day as they overcome obstacles to try to keep things in check" genre, but it doesn't have to. It is content to be a lighthearted comedy and accomplishes that goal.

I had no regrets after seeing this.