Have you ever had a really bad day? Best friends Dreux and Alyssa are having the day from hell, and just when things seem to start to look up, something else goes impossibly wrong.
Written by Syreeta Singleton in her debut feature length screenplay, and directed by Laurence Lamont, One of Them Days stars Keke Palmer and SZA as best friends and roommates Dreux and Alyssa, as they struggle to keep up with their snowballing problems, a normal day quickly turning into the worst day of their lives.
Dreux (Palmer), a waitress with ambitions of being a manager, and Alyssa (SZA), an aspiring artist with an inferiority complex, live together in a beat-up apartment complex under the oppressive thumb of a strict landlord, along with Alyssa’s deadbeat boyfriend Keshawn (Joshua Neal). When they find out that Keshawn secretly spent their rent money, the girls find themselves on the clock to recoup their losses before they get evicted. Through a string of increasingly wacky and dangerous events, Dreux and Alyssa’s friendship is tested like never before, as they put their lives and futures at risk to avoid ending up on the streets.
Now, I love a buddy comedy and big bonus points if it stars women. After garnering viral fame through Vanity Fair and TikTok videos, Keke Palmer’s talents are finally getting recognised by the broader public. Known for her roles in Nickelodeon’s TV series True Jackson, VP and Jordan Peele’s Nope, Palmer absolutely shines as the level-headed, career driven Dreux. SZA, in her acting debut, is no less impressive than her veteran co-star. There are moments when her facial expressions are a little overplayed, but in the spirit of the film, it’s not as distracting as you’d think.
In all honesty, I couldn’t imagine a better casting than this pair. In a way, Palmer and SZA are well aligned with their roles; Palmer as the experienced friend, SZA as the fresh-faced up and comer, opposites in many ways and yet two sides of the same coin. As a black woman working for minimum wage with aspirations for more, Dreux walks a fine line between her true self and a “refined” version that her corporate overlords will find palatable.
Alyssa, on the other hand, floats by with the belief that the universe will provide, completely neglecting to apply the same encouragement that she gives Dreux, to herself and to her art. Despite their differences occasionally causing them to butt heads, Dreux and Alyssa consistently see the greatness in each other, lifting each other up with love and compassion – a perfect depiction of female friendship.
Syreeta Singleton, whose previous works include comedy series Rap Sh!t, Insecure, and Black Monday, is not reinventing the wheel with her debut feature, but what she has done with the formula still yields a delicious result. Mixing the right amounts of raunch, wit, and female empowerment, Singleton’s screenplay is brought to life by its vivacious leads and colourful side characters. With Laurence Lamont in the director’s seat, also on his debut feature, the pair make an extremely powerful duo.
There are some very fun and playful storytelling devices used throughout One of Them Days. As Dreux and Alyssa’s deadline to eviction creeps closer, freeze frames with large text would pop up to announce their remaining time, even changing the caption as the girls’ goals change throughout the day. It’s nothing new, but it does add to the comedic layers, especially when paired with the sound of a ticking clock. To give the film’s supporting cast their moments, Singleton and Lamont also use fabricated flashbacks, allowing Alyssa and Dreux to provide exposition through voiceover and preventing these moments from feeling dry.
For a first-time feature length production from Singleton and Lamont, plus a first-time acting role for SZA, One of Them Days feels incredibly well-rounded and offers a fun laugh-filled evening for movie-goers looking to kill time in the dark.