Rent’s due, chaos is brewing, and friendship is about to be tested—welcome to One of Them Days.
Ah, One of Them Days—a movie that doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but let’s be real, why mess with the wheel when it’s rolling just fine? I should be a comedy writer. Speaking of comedy, this buddy comedy from Lawrence Lamont doesn’t waste time trying to be some genre-bending, meta-referential think piece; it just wants to make you laugh—and SPOILER! It does. Keke Palmer and SZA carry this thing like they’re seasoned comedic pros, and while it might not land in the Mount Rushmore of Buddy Comedies just yet, it delivers where it counts: hilarious antics, ridiculous scenarios, and two besties getting into absolute chaos while somehow still making rent. The new American dream.
Okay, let’s talk plot. Dreux (Palmer) is the definition of “girl with a plan,” grinding at her restaurant job for that franchise manager promotion. Alyssa (SZA), on the other hand, is more “go-with-the-flow,” which would be fine—except her flow happens to include a walking red flag of a boyfriend who thinks spending their rent money on flammable acrylic shirts is a wise investment. (Sir, what business model were you following? Arson chic?) Naturally, this sparks a frantic, day-long quest across Los Angeles to scrape together the cash before eviction comes knocking—cue hustles, hijinks, and hilarity.

Does the movie break new ground? Nope. But does it absolutely own the genre it plays in? Oh, 100%. Look, nobody watches a buddy comedy hoping for the next Citizen Kane. We watch because we want laughs, lovable characters, and at least one scene where everything goes off the rails so spectacularly that it can only end in disaster or genius—and One of Them Days delivers. Sure, you know the inevitable second-act falling-out is coming before they rekindle their friendship, but who cares? That’s like getting mad at a burger for having a bun. This film is comforting, chaotic fun, and when it works, it works.
And let’s be real—this movie lives or dies on Palmer and SZA’s chemistry, and these two? They eat. They’re funny, they’re dynamic, and most importantly, they feel real—like the kind of friends who would both fight for each other and also fight each other in a parking lot over a spicy chicken sandwich with equal conviction. (Side Note: I would fight for that too!) Simply put, these characters don’t just trade jokes; they bounce off each other perfectly, which is exactly what a buddy comedy needs.
Now, is this Rush Hour? Step Brothers? Superbad? Not by a long shot. But at a time when actual comedies are becoming endangered species, and everything funny either has to be drenched in CGI or masquerading as an “arthouse satire,” I’ll take a film that just wants to be funny and succeeds. This is the kind of movie you actually want to watch in a crowded theater, not alone in your room scrolling on TikTok (while you still can).
So yeah, maybe I’m grading on a curve here because the theatrical comedy drought is real, but One of Them Days gave me a whole lot of laughs, a little nostalgia for '90s buddy flicks, and two leads I’d absolutely watch team up again.
Comments