Wild goose chases and buddy comedies are a staple of cinema, and “One of Them Days” delivers exactly that – a chaotic, laugh-out-loud adventure driven by a duo with undeniable chemistry. With a clear love for 90’s style comedies, the film follows best friends and roommates, Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) as they race to recover their stolen money before rent is due, thanks to Alyssa’s bummy boyfriend. At its core, “One of Them Days” is a goofy, R-rated comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The plot sticks to a familiar formula: two best friends caught in a stressful situation, forced to rely on their limited resources and sheer determination to fix things.
For me, Francine, what makes the movie shine is the chemistry between Palmer and SZA. Palmer, an experienced comedic pro (and still underrated, in my opinion) effortlessly moves through the film with her natural charisma and sharp comedic timing. SZA, who we just saw perform at the Super Bowl with Kendrick Lamar, delivers a surprisingly strong acting debut – natural, never awkward and completely in sync with Palmer. Their contrasting personalities add to the fun: Dreux is the ambitious hustler, while Alyssa is more carefree, trusting fate even when it leads them straight into trouble. Their friendship is the heart of the movie, making the stakes feel personal and relatable.
Beyond the nonstop laughs, “One of Them Days” has some unexpectedly emotional moments as well. The inevitable best friend arguments hit hard because they’re rooted in genuine care. Dreux pushes Alyssa to want better for herself, while Alyssa wants Dreux to loosen up and trust life a little more. Their individual struggles also add depth. Dreux’s financial struggles are all too relatable for many of us college students and Alyssa’s tendency to rely on fate rather than taking control of her life feels all too real.
That being said, there are moments where I felt the pacing dragged. Some scenes feel stretched just to fill time until the next big hijinks, and while the comedic dialogue definitely lands, a few moments could have been skipped. But honestly, that’s expected in a film like this – it’s more about the wild ride rather than a perfectly structured plot.
Hayley here and I disagree with Francine about the pacing. It moved fast for me, with no lulls following the structure of this type of comedy to a tee. The nature of these films is to have the audience feeling like they are just coming along for the ride with the main characters in their everyday life. With that comes some awkwardness, pace changes and unconventional choices in structure, which I believe benefit this form of storytelling, making it feel believable while adding charm.
This film falls perfectly into the universe of some other beloved 90’s films, such as “Good Burger” which came out in 1997 and “Friday” starring Ice Cube, which came out in 1995. Despite the film taking place in modern times, it follows so closely to the storyline of these films that it had me questioning if it was a remake of “Friday” with a modern twist. They shared many similarities including set, angles, timecards, countdowns, types of characters and tropes!
Where I do agree with Francine, is with Palmer’s acting. She embodies the “going with the flow” 90’s comedic style with ease, as did SZA! Each actress played genuine and multi-faceted characters with quirky, yet perfectly timed, comedy choices that never failed to get a laugh. While also touching on how real the hustle can be, relating to many young girls in the audience. We both are hoping to see more of this duo or even each individually on the big screen again soon.
The perfect film for a late-night watch with besties, or for “One of Them Days” when you’re in need of a good laugh. We give this movie a 3.5 out of 5.
