Hey everybody and welcome back to a brand new review! For this one, we are going to be looking at the new hit studio comedy from a lot of the people behind the hit series (including producer, Issa Rae), Insecure, One of Them Days. Now I have never seen that show, but I have heard very good things about it and thought it was neat that quite a few of the people behind it are transitioning to a major studio feature length film. What most got me interested in this film though, was just the simple fact of it being a theatrically released major studio comedy in a time when those just aren’t as common as they once were. I’m also a big fan of Keke Palmer, who I think has immense comedic talent, so getting to see her be the lead of one of these, further piqued my interest as did the very solid reviews and buzz the film had been garnering. With that said, was able to deliver on the potential that was on paper? Let’s jump right in and see if this crazy day was worth going through!
The film follows two best friends named Dreux and Alyssa living in LA together in a rundown apartment complex. The former is a hard working waitress with hopes of becoming a franchise manager while the latter is an aspiring artist who doesn’t really seem to have much going on in her life. One day, their strict landlord knocks on their door, demanding their rent money of $1500 due at the beginning of the month. If they do not pay this money by 6 pm, they will be evicted from the premises. Both of them are confused as they believed the rent had already gotten paid, until they find out that Alyssa’s boyfriend, Keshawn, took the money for himself. Now the two must find a way to pay off the rent money before it is too late while also dealing with various other conflicts that arise in the process.
The basic premise in and of itself is fairly straightforward and simple, which means the writing and vibes of the film are going to have to do a lot of heavy lifting. Thankfully, director, Lawrence Lamont, and writer, Syreeta Singleton are able to succeed in that regard. They take full advantage of the simplicity of the story in order to fill it with various situations that succeed in providing some effective laughs. I found myself quite engaged, always curious as to what wacky situation our characters would get into and how things would escalate often in ways I didn’t expect with there being some really fun slapstick. The comedic timing in general is very on point with Singleton’s script adding to it with some really funny dialogue providing solid jokes that are very raunchy (yet well done) or often focus on the relatability of the situation our character’s are in (with some exaggeration thrown in of course). I also appreciated how certain jokes would be set up earlier and then come back unexpectedly as the movie goes on.
What I most appreciated though is that, like most of the best comedies, there is also a lot of heart imbued into the proceedings with the central friendship at the center of the film being an endearing one that made me further invested in the proceedings on a character level and not just on a comedic front. There’s also some nice showcases of the power of community and the value it has with how that plays a role in the story and it was very nice to see. I’ll admit that there are a couple of familiar story beats seen in these kinds of stories that do somewhat slow the momentum in a bit. Not that they didn’t made sense, but I do feel like there were more interesting ways they could have executed them given how clever so much of the film is.
Helping the comedy is craftsmanship on display, especially in regards to the editing. Editing is an overlooked, but very important part of making a comedy as the successful timing and positioning of the jokes greatly depends on it. Tia Nolan does some very solid work in this regard, with the way the scenes flow being very well done in how they build up certain jokes and show the comedic chaos that ensues when something crazy does happen, with a scene at a blood drive being a highlight in this regard. There’s even some fun camerawork that only adds to the hilarity at times, especially when things get fast paced. In general, this is just a well put together picture that looks quite nice with Ava Berkosky’s cinematography doing a nice job in capturing the sunny streets of LA and some fun production design, especially in the girls’ apartment complex which almost feels like a character in and of itself. I even thought Chanda Dancy’s score was very fun as it was able to fit with both the wacky hijinks and even ramp up when things start to get a little intense.
Holding the film together though is the duo of Keke Palmer and SZA who are both very much crucial to this movie’s success. Palmer has become one of those actresses that I very much tend to enjoy whenever I see her in stuff, especially when she gets to show off her comedic chops like in here. She brings a fiery energy to Dreux that makes the scenes where she goes off in ways both joyful and not so joyful all the better, but she also succeeds tremendously in the more heartfelt scenes, where one can feel the struggles Dreux is going through as someone who works extremely hard, but hopes that that work can be paid off for something better. Then there’s SZA, who I admittedly wasn’t too familiar with beyond the fact that she was a popular music artist. This was her acting debut and I was very impressed as she also shows off some nice comedy skills, playing the more nonchalant of the duo who may not always be the brightest in certain situations and can make some questionable actions, but is very much supportive of her friend and has her own skills in the realm of street smarts. I also quite the arc she went through in finding her own independence from Keshawn (Joshua Neal, playing this pathetic personality very well). In general, the dynamic between the two is very entertaining whether they are bickering, bonding, or something in between.
Helping make things livelier is the presence of a game supporting cast stacked with some very funny talent playing some very colorful characters. No matter how much or little they are in the movie, it feels like every player in this film stands out in some way whether it be their personality or even how they end up fitting into the plot. I myself found the antagonists to be a hoot with Aziza Scott as Kershawn’s new girlfriend, Berniece, having a blast being a very fun bully character who is not too fond when things don’t go her way (also responsible for a very funny fight scene that occurs), and Amin Joseph as a crazy gangster named King Lolo, managing to both be menacing and hilarious at the same time. In terms of plot importance, I also quite enjoyed Patrick Cage as Dreux’s potential love interest, Maniac, as he has solid chemistry with Palmer and I liked where things went with his character by the end and Maude Apatow as Bethany, the new neighbor moving in who is as stereotypical of a white girl as one can imagine, and provides plenty of laughs and also plays an surprisingly important role.
We also get the likes of Vanessa Bell Calloway, Rizi Timane, Dewayne Perkins, Keyla Monterroso Kayla, Lil Rel Howery, and more playing various members of the community/people the duo encounter, and they all get their moment in the spotlight to get some laughs out of me. The clear audience favorite though, comedian, Katt Williams, as Lucky, a homeless man who attempts to offer sage advice to our protagonists despite them thinking he is crazy. Williams just plays this role in a way that is very entertaining and it is very fun seeing the reactions of the different characters to his proclamations.
In all, One of Them Days is a very entertaining comedic romp that had me consistently entertained from beginning to end. It definitely is familiar in places, going to some expected places, and story wise is very simple, but it is mostly very funny, the situations shown are a lot of fun, it has a lot of heart, it is solidly made, the duo at the center is great to be around, and a lot of the supporting players are a hoot. It was just so nice to see a comedy like this made at the studio level in a theater as this is one that plays very well in a packed house and I’m happy to see it doing as well as it is doing for a movie of its scale. If your looking for some good laughs or are a fan of the talent involved, then this will more than do the job. It also makes me curious what the creative team will do next as I was very impressed by their work here. Plus, while I’m not demanding a follow up, if Dreux and Alyssa ever find themselves going on more wacky adventures, I would certainly not be opposed to it.
Rating: A-
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