'One of Them Days,' starring Keke Palmer and SZA, keeps viewers at the edge of their seats as two roommates race against the clock to avoid eviction Jordana Comiter is an Associate Editor on the Evergreen team at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2024. Her work has previously appeared in Women’s Health Magazine, PopSugar, VeryWell Mind, Business Insider and The Chicago Reader. TV and Movies·Posted on Feb 19, 2025Subscribe to Quizzes NewsletterCaret DownChoose Between These Iconic Duos To See If You're Dreux Or Alyssa From "One Of Them Days"Either way, you're the one, not the two. Keke Palmer and SZA redefine ride-or-die friendships in the new buddy comedy, One of Them Days Written by Rap Sh!t‘s Syreeta Singleton directed by Lawrence Lamont (his first feature film the film offers an inside glimpse of the lives of characters as they experience one of those days where nothing seems to be swinging in their favor According to an official synopsis for One of Them Days: “Best friends and roommates Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) are about to have one of those days When they discover Alyssa’s boyfriend has blown their rent money the duo finds themselves going to extremes in a comical race against the clock to avoid eviction and keep their friendship intact.” Following the revelation that Alyssa and Dreux’s rent money has been withdrawn and the pair embark on a failed journey to obtain the money which turns into a series of side quests to raise the funds needed to pay the rent.  a judgy worker at the neighborhood loan borrower What begins as a journey together soon leads to a fallout due to Alyssa and Dreux’s frustration when they lose the rent money (again) due to Alyssa’s inherently lackadaisical nature.  but they soon discover that they’re in massive trouble with King Lolo (Amin Joseph) the person that Katt Williams’ Lucky warns them of when Alyssa manages to successfully but unsuccessfully carry out a plan to take a pair of vintage Nike sneakers dangling from a powerline (and if you’re Black with any inkling of street smarts While they don’t get the money back from Keyshawn (Joshua Neal) or his new boo it isn’t long before the pair come up with the funds necessary to overcome the latest challenge that King Lolo wants to kill them Alyssa and Dreux never avoided the looming eviction they faced at the start of One of Them Days an event does take place that sets them up for success after he arrives at The Jungles to get the money that is owed to him Alyssa devises a plan to avoid having to pay him the hard-earned money that she and Dreux were able to collect as a result of their art pop-up the besties find themselves back in their (surprisingly not empty) apartment with the person who got them in the mess in the first place — Keyshawn Due to candles lit by Alyssa’s trash of an ex-boyfriend to get her back they soon find themselves trapped in a fire until firefighters burst in to save the day who was on the run from the payday loan folks who previously denied Alyssa and Dreux an advance earlier in the day is a firefighter who vows to ensure they get their apartment back through renter’s insurance He also reveals their landlord is in trouble for fire violations Following a chaotic day in the lives of two best friends and roommates One of Them Days speaks to the power of community One of Them Days is currently available in theaters nationwide.   Get relevant content delivered to you once a week Ready to dive in Select your preferences and get ready for an experience tailored just for you *by clicking Subscribe you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy That included my relationship with the person I was living with at the time who coined the portmanteau “froomie” as a mash-up of “friend” and “roomie” to acknowledge that each facet of our relationship was strengthened by the other Not to mention the fact that we were both queer which only created further bonds at a time when it can be frightening to be all of those things Even though we’re no longer living together they have insisted that we’ll always be “froomies” — which The new comedy One of Them Days, directed by Lawrence Lamont, written by Syreeta Singleton, and produced by Issa Rae, is an ode to that special kind of relationship that happens when you not only share space, but lived experience with someone. In this case, it’s the bond between two Black women, Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) who live together in a crummy Los Angeles apartment Alyssa’s boyfriend who’s been living with the two rent-free for months now The two women have somewhat opposing personalities — Dreux is a waitress who is trying her hardest to level up to being a franchise manager and Alyssa is a painter and free spirit who is more than willing to sit back and let the universe work everything out for her That contrast between the pair is clear from the opening scenes: It’s the first of the month and Alyssa has trusted Keshaun to hand off their rent money to the landlord leaving Dreux to a confrontation with their slumlord of a property owner who threatens eviction if he does not receive his money by the end of the day Dreux also has an interview for a potentially career-changing job at 4 p.m. Two opposite personalities in a high-pressure time crunch dilemma Now that’s the stuff a great buddy comedy is made of What follows is a series of increasingly convoluted schemes that Dreux and Alyssa attempt in order to try and make a month’s worth of rent in one day It starts with a visit to a predatory (like literally predatory — they hang photos of unpaid debtors’ faces on the wall) loan office where each loan comes with an interest rate of over 1,000% and Dreux’s credit score is so low that the clerk nearly laughs her out of the office trying to argue that they are in a common law marriage with the movie decidedly living up to its title but I can’t help but feel as though that factor contributes to the depth with which Palmer and SZA portray the relationship between Dreux and Alyssa While both characters are only seen engaging romantically with men it is clear throughout the movie that the most important relationship in their lives is with each other even — or perhaps especially — when under duress Despite having incredibly different personalities the two have an endless amount of patience and love for one another; even through a series of repeated (hilarious) failed attempts to make a quick buck Dreux and Alyssa don’t blow up at each other until we’re two-thirds of the way through the film (Don’t worry — a pretty obvious spoiler alert but they also love each other enough to make up.) Theirs is a kind of devotion that verges on that queer border between the platonic and the romantic Staff Picks: The 25 Best LGBTQ+ Songs of 2024From “Good Luck Babe!” to “Nasty,” the soundtrack to 2024 was extremely queer.This also marks SZA’s debut as a film actor but you wouldn’t be able to tell that from her ease onscreen and her natural comedic timing It probably helps that the type of woman SZA is portraying is somewhat of a parody of how she portrays herself through her music: emotionally immature constantly making poor decisions in love and also everything else please know that my second-most-listened-to artist on my Spotify Wrapped has been SZA two years in a row so this is also a self-drag.) But it also definitely helps that she’s sharing the screen with Keke Palmer who is establishing herself as one of the funniest working actresses with her scene-stealing role as Em in Nope Even though she’s playing the more “serious” of the two characters Palmer’s impeccable line delivery is the absolute highlights of One of Them Days — and that’s really saying something considering that the incredibly funny Katt Williams and Janelle James also have (admittedly smaller) roles in the film One of Them Days might not be an explicitly sapphic rom-com the day that either Keke Palmer or SZA gets cast in a sapphic rom-com I will be doing backflips.) But it’s also true that it is absolutely thrilling to see two Black women who have previously discussed loving women as the leads in a buddy comedy and what I’m hoping can be the start of a long overdue cultural recognition of Palmer as a comedy star Get the best of what’s queer. Sign up for Them’s weekly newsletter here. by Stephanie ZacharekFilm Critic Now you can watch One of Them Days on Netflix Keke Palmer and SZA play Dreux and Alyssa, best friends who rent a cruddy apartment in Baldwin Village Los Angeles—sometimes known as The Jungles—from moneygrubbing landlord Uche (Rizi Timane) who makes a habit of shaking down his tenants for rent money and evicting them if they’re even a day late a waitress who aspires to manage her own restaurant franchise Dreux has entrusted Alyssa with delivering Uche’s money before the first of the month—but instead freeloading boyfriend Keshawn (Joshua David Neal) to put the money in Uche’s hands and he tells Dreux she has just eight hours She also has an important job interview at 4—and this is after working a full early-morning shift feeling guilty over the loss of the rent funds assures Dreux that they can figure out how to pull together $1500 in one day who has not only invested the money in a cheap T-shirt enterprise but also taken up with the toughest gal in the neighborhood tiny-shorts-wearing Berniece (Aziza Scott) They try borrowing it from a shady payday loan joint but their credit scores are so low they're rejected out of hands (When Dreux first inquires about the terms the receptionist—played by Keyla Monterroso Mejia who turns the derisive giggle into a new art form—directs her to a sign in the window citing 1900.5% APR “I thought that was the year of establishment!” Dreux says.) Next resulting in something like a literal bloodbath a ray of hope: Alyssa thinks they’ve hit paydirt when she sees a pair of vintage Air Jordans slung over a power line She and Dreux sell them almost immediately (the wheeler-dealer buyer is Lil Rel Howery) only to learn that they belong to a local thug named King Lolo (Amin Joseph) and he wants the money they've earned from the sneakers that it appears she’s aced it—until the woman in charge of giving her the job (Gabrielle Dennis) sees Alyssa and Gabrielle cat-fighting right outside the building and realizes Dreux is part of their little circle and the pileup of catastrophes practically bust up Alyssa and Dreux’s friendship One of Them Days was produced by Issa Rae, and directed and written, respectively, by Lawrence Lamont and Syreeta Singleton, both of whom have collaborated with Rae on other projects like Insecure and Rap Sh!t Dreux and Alyssa are forced to switch out of their stained clothes and into castoffs they’ve dug out of a charity box: Dreux gets a hideous neon green stretch jumpsuit Alyssa a 1980s-style faux-silk bomber jacket and track pants set and they spend the rest of the movie decked out in these crazytown duds—it's a grand TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website Offers may be subject to change without notice This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Horror, not comedy, has been the go-to movie genre in recent years, but a movie like “One of Them Days,” starring Keke Palmer and, in her big-screen debut, SZA is a good reminder of what we’ve been missing Creepy stuff and jump scares, we’ve been told, have proved better suited for channeling our abiding contemporary dread. But the communal joys of big-screen comedy have, and always will, suit dark days as much as light ones, if not more so. “One of Them Days,” for instance, happens to arrive while Los Angeles, where the movie is set, has been decimated by wildfires are crystal clear in “One of Them Days.” In the opening moments “One of Them Days,” which had its premiere canceled by the fires is a welcome warm breeze for a movie landscape that has largely frozen out the comedy There’s one overwhelming reason for this: Keke Palmer so it might seem unfair to single out one half of a duo when her artist roommate Alyssa (SZA) gives their rent money to an untrustworthy boyfriend daylong odyssey to raise the money before they’re evicted This seemingly low-stakes premise is itself a kind of throwback to a more 1990s-flavored movie Gary Gray’s “Friday” can be felt throughout “One of Them Days.” producer Issa Rae and screenwriter Syreeta Singleton “One of Them Days” is grounded in a working-class reality where every step toward upward mobility for Dreux and Alyssa is swiftly knocked backward They live in a dilapidated apartment complex in the neighborhood of Baldwin Village When they’re forced to raise $1,500 — a race complete with a ticking-clock countdown to eviction until “certain death” — Dreux is also scheduled for the biggest job interview of her life to become a franchise manager for the restaurant chain she’s employed by The satire of “One of Them Days” is mostly directed at the feeble opportunities afforded to those striving to break out of a paycheck-to-paycheck cycle their payday center advertises a comical APR of 1,900.5% who takes great pleasure in their credit scores is memorably played by Keyla Monterroso Mejia.) That’s just one of the characters the two encounter in their pleasantly meandering journey to raise money via everything from blood donation to Air Jordans hung on power lines Some of the characters along the way include Katt Williams as a conscientious homeless man who warns against predatory lending; Vanessa Bell Calloway’s stripper-turned-blood-bank-worker; a new white neighbor named Bethany (Maude Apatow); and Keshawn’s new hookup (Janelle James) who proves the movie’s most regular villain despite the looming presence of a fearsome gangster (Amin Joseph) Anyone familiar with Rae’s “Insecure” will recognize some of the hallmarks of that HBO series namely the struggles of Black women trying to get a leg up in Los Angeles while also juggling romantic interests that might come from a wide range of backgrounds who drives a Mercedes and who she suspects is a criminal If all of this sounds somewhat low stakes (I failed to mention Lil Rel Howery as their prospective sneaker buyer) that’s more of a pleasing feature than a bug in “One of Them Days.” Besides filling this movie with anything more — star cameos or broad comedy set pieces — would be a mistake That would leave less room for the interplay between Palmer and SZA “One of Them Days” hinges on central buddy comedy which Lamont seems to recognize even in his feature directorial debut SZA’s uber-cool unsurprisingly transfers easily to the big screen; her performance is winning because it’s so unforced But it’s a testament to Palmer’s dynamism as a performer that “One of Them Days” would work no matter where their day takes them. There’s a freewheeling wit and ever-shifting subtlety to Palmer, who so enlivened Jordan Peele’s “Nope.” Only a theatrical comedy can really showcase charisma like hers For an actress who’s hustled to get to this point “One of Them Days” is a perfect platform for Palmer Joined by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest as Part of Paris Games Activities Syn-Pro by SISIS Cricket Groundcare Machinery and key match highlights throughout the day © ECN - European Cricket Network Grigny Vipers vs Paris Universite Club Dreux Sport Cricket Club, Dreux Grigny Vipers vs Royal 94 Mitry vs Ekota CC Paris Universite Club vs Paris Zalmi Royal 94 vs Ekota CC and highlights as the top teams battle for the championship Paris Universite Club vs AC Stains, Eliminator Royal 94 vs Dreux, Qualifier 1 T.B.C. vs T.B.C. T.B.C. vs T.B.C. Saint Denis Stallions vs Dreux UIF Evry vs CSPT Sarcelles Saint Denis Stallions vs PFC Sarcelles AC Stains vs Dreux CSPT Sarcelles vs PFC Sarcelles In "One of Them Days," everyone is going through it Not just main characters Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) but everyone else in their Los Angeles neighborhood It's that collective sense of community struggle — you can't even hit the drive-thru without having your order snatched up by a masked biscuit bandit — and ultimately the togetherness it breeds that elevates the "Friday"-style day-in-the-life comedy the debut feature film from Detroit director Lawrence Lamont Dreux and Alyssa are facing eviction if they don't come up with $1,500 in overdue rent by the end of the day Their landlord Uche (Rizi Timane) wants them out so he can fast forward his plans to gentrify his building and rent to more tenants like Bethany (Maude Apatow) the chirpy white neighbor who just moved into the building Dreux is working as a waitress at a cafe but has dreams of running her own restaurant Alyssa is an artist who has forked over her portion of the rent to her trifling skeevy boyfriend Keshawn (Joshua David Neal) Feature: Detroit director Lawrence Lamont graduates from Big Sean to big screen Now the clock is ticking — a time stamp is periodically shown on screen counting down the pair's peril — and every time they take one step forward When they sell a pair of Jordans they find hanging from a telephone wire they get scammed on the price by the buyer (Lil Rel Howery) and then merciless neighborhood gangster King Lolo (Amin Joseph) — he'll kill you just for looking at him — comes to collect what he says is his the former stripper running the operation turns the scene into a literal blood bath (It's one of the few scenes in the movie where the tone misses the mark.) And Alyssa is being hunted down by Keshawn's other girl who's not about to accept second place to anyone pawns in a larger game they're set up to lose telling them not to take on predatory loans at the local payday center where interest rates are an astronomical 1,900% Palmer is the straight-laced pragmatic half of the duo and SZA is her loopy partner but together they have a strong chemistry that keeps things rolling even as the narrative engine occasionally sputters Lamont treats this all with zippy comic timing the script structure (it's written by Syreeta Singleton) lending itself to short Lamont employs fast-paced visuals and bright colors — it's always sunny in L.A while the community element and the struggle economy that unites them ties everything together "One of Them Days" is a portrait of modern economic despair as a laugh out loud buddy comedy a story of being handed lemons and making lemonade and laughing while chugging it down So what’s the cinema antidote to the brutal and frozen tundra outside our doors (and let’s not get into the West Coast) that’s usually Summer popcorn fodder but that’s not the only “rule” that this new flick is breaking Rather than two mismatched male comic actors this focuses on the friendship (though strained at times) of two twenty-something African American women along with the pairing of a screen “vet” and a star from the world of hip hop (and R&B/pop) Now that’s a combo sure to end those winter doldrums along with its “Cali” backdrop as the principals frantically try to survive a zany twenty-four hours that certainly qualifies as ONE OF THEM DAYS that will put their bond to the test It’s the morning of the first day of the month and the head waitress at one of those family diner-style chain restaurants Dreux (Keke Palmer) is making sure her staple of longtime “regulars” are enjoying their breakfast Dreux waits for a ride from her BFF/roommate struggling artist/painter Alyssa (SZA) to pick her up and return to their shared apartment Later that afternoon Dreux will have what could be a life-changing interview at the corporate HQ of the eatery chain in hopes of snagging a a manager spot at a location After saying hello to several of the neighbors more like surrogate “aunties” and “uncles” they head into their upstairs (above the courtyard) unit where Alyssa’s hunky but between jobs and homes bae Suddenly there’s someone pounding on the door It’s the no-nonsense landlord Uche (Rizi Timane) demanding the $1500 rent (it is the first) from Dreux otherwise their furnishings will be on the street at 6 PM Dreux double-checks that Alyssa has already given him their combined rent amount she gave the cash to Keshawn to give to Uche Through the “gossip grapevine,” they find out about his “side girl” At her place Alyssa grills Keshawn about the dough but he’s already “invested” it Then Berniece barges in and makes Alyssa and Dreux her target for revenge Can the desperate duo raise the rent by six And will Dreux make it to that big interview And what happens when the BFFs incur the wrath of a brutal crime kingpin named King Lolo (Armin Joseph) The clock is ticking as they wonder what else can go wrong… The film soars on the effervescent energy of the two lead actresses the vet I mentioned is Palmer who builds on the street-smart slightly manic persona we saw in supporting roles in NOPE and HUSTLERS Her Dreux is the quick-thinking brain of the duo always creating a new angle (or line of BS) to try and succeed And yet she has an endearingly awkward quality as she tries to flirt with a new neighbor in an early scene Palmer also has a “clown’s grace” as she uses her body language to convey the chaos of this long day Palmer is also an excellent scene partner with the confident and sassy SZA as Alyssa and it’s amazing that this is her first major acting role though she’s been featured in many music videos Alyssa is the more spiritual of the two (“Gotta put it out in the universe!”) though SZA delivers some great profanity-filled tirades when not utilizing her zaftig charms (watch her work her “magic” on a food cart vendor) And though her head is often “in the clouds” SZA displays a gutsy talent for slapstick comedy right from the classics (there’s a lot of Lucy and Ethel in these two “besties”) Neal is the perfect dimbulb but well-endowed “boy toy” while Scott is a hard-twerking Tazmanian Devil With a bit of Tex Cobb from RAISING ARIZONA as the “rageaholic” Berniece There are also some great comic turns by Maude Apatow as the bubbly new tenant Bethany (who is the only white resident Katt Williams as the ironically-named street “prophet” Lucky and Lil Rel Howery who figures in one of the big cash schemes Director Lawrence Lamont keeps the pace rolling along at a brisk clip while hitting all the playful dialogue exchanges of the duo provided by screenwriter Syretta Singleton Lamont ups the suspense factor by slapping on reminders of the time passed with a bit of foreboding (“Six hours till eviction”) that reminded me of the 80s cult comedy THREE O’CLOCK HIGH Singleton delivers some smart satiric jabs at the “cash advance” industry along with the warm feeling of community in the apartment complex (the “matriarch” there has set up a “mini 7-11” in her living room) lull just past the hour mark as the buddy romp cliche has to include a big blow-up between the pals that threatens to split them up for good I didn’t buy it because their bond feels impossible to break And while many may feel that all the subplots get resolved too neatly the laughs and the chemistry between Palmer and SZA are so strong and engaging that those small missteps are wiped clean by the high-spirited hijinks that fill up ONE OF THEM DAYS ONE OF THEM DAYS is now playing in theatres everywhere In the new movie One of Them Days, it’s the first of the month, when the bills are due and tensions are higher than usual. BFF roommates Dreux (played by everyone’s favorite multihyphenate Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (R&B singer SZA in her feature-film debut) find themselves strapped for cash with nary a penny to pay their monthly rent—which is due by 6 p.m. Thus begins the epic day-in-the-life journey of two broke Black girls who comb through their neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles looking for ways to get cash fast The Black female buddy comedy is back and fresher than ever a reminder of just how much this genre has to offer Like many great comedies, such as Superbad or Friday, One of Them Days takes place over the course of one day. (The movie’s only fault is neglecting to include the best song ever made about this specific day.) When Alyssa’s crafty noncommittal boyfriend Keshawn (Joshua Neal) steals the girls’ rent money to finance the start of his T-shirt line (shirts that say “Cucci,” a play on the luxury brand Gucci) Dreux and Alyssa venture into the neighborhood of Baldwin Village colloquially known as “the Jungle,” for opportunities to earn some quick money not only are they pressed for time by their landlord who is noted for skirting legal rental practices but Dreux also has to make it to a hopefully life-changing interview for a big promotion—and the girls are being hunted by a neighborhood bully and comedic linchpins found in any movie about the hood—public brawls someone coming in and stealing something the protagonists worked hard to get—ensue while the movie’s comedy tends toward the profane the issues that set up the punch lines in One of Them Days are very real The duo gets rejected from a loan bank because of their abysmal credit; Dreux which hilariously ends up all over the donation center; Alyssa steals a pair of Air Jordans hanging on a phone line which lands them in hot water with the neighborhood’s crime boss When comedy legend Katt Williams shows up as Lucky a loitering antiestablishment street preacher who warns the girls not to take a loan from the loan bank for fear of them getting trapped in a predatory cycle of debt he becomes one of the best running gags in the movie while also making a salient point about the very real predatory businesses that target residents of impoverished areas The film takes a similar approach to the Village’s first white resident moving into a renovated apartment much nicer than the protagonists’ dilapidated unit—a funny portrayal of gentrification and landlords’ exploitative practices pushing out long-standing tenants in favor of wealthier But One of Them Days is more about how people survive than just the widespread injustices they live with. The laughs might be based on how societal structures keep Black people down, but the movie itself is about how Black women build community and lift each other up. Elle’s Keyaira Kelly aptly calls One of Them Days a “love letter to regular degular Black girls”—and this is accomplished on many fronts and makeup choices simultaneously enhance the film’s comedy and the effortless beauty of its stars to the way the girls’ faith in each other overrides and outlives any frustrations they have with each other Most buddy comedies show a temporary falling-out between the lead characters as the central conflict comes to a head One of Them Days is no different in that regard but the thing this movie understands about being a Black woman is that there is an unshakable faith in what you know your fellow Black women to be capable of Black women are the first ones to recognize each other’s worth; fittingly although Dreux and Alyssa’s frustrations with each other mount as the day goes on But One of Them Days is a welcome reminder that there’s room for many kinds of movies in Black cinema—and some of them can even show four-time Grammy Award–winning musician SZA getting electrocuted by climbing up a telephone pole “One of Them Days,” directed by Lawrence Lamont is a laugh-out-loud comedy that captures humor the film has already become a major hit thanks to its relatable storyline and standout performances by Keke Palmer and SZA The story follows Dreux (Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) two best friends struggling to make ends meet in Los Angeles Their day takes a chaotic turn when Alyssa’s untrustworthy boyfriend Dreux and Alyssa embark on an outrageous adventure across the city a determined woman who refuses to let anything hold her back particularly in scenes where Dreux must think fast to escape tricky situations Palmer’s ability to add depth to the character makes her performance stand out portraying Dreux as a loyal friend willing to do whatever it takes to protect her loved ones SZA delivers a charming performance as Alyssa whose trusting and vulnerable nature often lands the pair in trouble SZA brings an endearing quality to the role with a natural delivery and undeniable chemistry with Palmer they form a dynamic duo that anchors the film The supporting cast adds additional humor and heart a caring maternal figure who offers wisdom bring hilarious moments that enhance the story The film’s script is packed with witty dialogue and sharp humor It excels at finding comedy in unexpected moments the movie captures the vibrancy of Los Angeles using creative camera angles and vivid colors to amplify the humor and drama The city serves as the perfect backdrop for Dreux and Alyssa’s adventure While “One of Them Days” excels in many areas as the story slows and the setbacks begin to feel repetitive the humor and emotional moments outweigh these shortcomings “One of Them Days” is a story about friendship and determination Dreux and Alyssa’s bond is the heart of the film emphasizing the importance of loyalty and perseverance through adversity The result is a movie that is both entertaining and uplifting With its blend of humor and dazzling performances it will leave audiences laughing and reflecting Palmer and SZA deliver performances that are as funny as they are heartfelt making this a must-watch for fans of the genre Royal 94 vs Mitry Ekota CC vs Grigny Vipers Royal 94 vs Paris Universite Club Ekota CC vs Paris Zalmi Reviews “Rap Sh!t” and “Insecure” writer Syreeta Singleton pairs up with music video director Lawrence Lamont in his feature debut to compose a Black women’s buddy comedy that makes you grateful for your worst day. In “One of Them Days,” Keke Palmer and SZA are Dreux and Alyssa too extremely down-on-their-luck chaos magnets trying to scrape together enough money to avoid eviction they must dodge a vengeful neighborhood tyrant set on kicking their asses and evade their hood’s infamous killer while making sure Dreux can make it on time to her job interview…all in succession; all in 24 hours and a dichotomous duet of precarious love interests exacerbating the stakes “One of Them Days” brings new credence to the phrase “get active.” Best friends and roommates Dreux and Alyssa are a familiar duo: two girls with the same zest for life whose approaches and pragmatism towards the dilemmas of daily living diverge hilariously charming but bashful waitress looking to step up to franchise manager at her job in a local restaurant joint She’s the girl who maneuvers the floor like she’s on skates throwing smirks and clever punchlines while making employee of the month is the kind of girl who splits her time at a party explaining birth charts between tequila shots you know they’re pausing everything to go cut it up on the dance floor.  When Alyssa entrusts her mooching situationship Keshawn (Joshua David Neal) to turn in her and Dreux’s rent money they don’t find out that he blew it on his ad hoc T-Shirt business “Cucci” until their landlord is banging down their door They have 24 hours before they get kicked out and with their neighbor already bartering his possessions on the curb And so sets forth a kinetic comedy of errors as the besties put their misguided well-intentioned heads together to keep a roof over their heads “One of Them Days” revs with the danger and excitement of a lead foot Dreux and Alyssa’s adventures are anxiety-inducing but thrilling – for us and them – as even in the riskiest moments the spark between the two girlfriends shines with just enough “f*ck it” energy to counteract the flight response Palmer and SZA’s chemistry is motivated by a palpable rapport that complements Lamont’s punchy neon ambience Palmer brings exactly what we desire and expect indisputable charisma and goofy line deliveries; SZA shows no evidence that this is her first foray in this arena shining with personality and au natural comic timing Singleton’s writing paints a side-splitting portrait of “The Jungle”: the girls’ very LA apartment complex a familiarly unreliable braider who can jailbreak a phone no problem a clueless but well-meaning symptom of the neighborhood’s gentrified future the Jungle boasts a cast of characters familiar to city dwellers The fringe characters include Bully Berniece (Aziza Scott) but whose chemistry with her bursts through the screen As the ladies traverse the city on their any-means-necessary excursions incompatible cameos and too-obvious performance choices occur with a smidge of regularity fit into the film like a flickering fluorescent bulb at an otherwise well-lit house party: catching your attention with glaring demand rather than supportive aura Palmer’s signature animated deliveries work most of the time coupled with a few too-obvious punchlines that beg for a laugh “One of Them Days” satisfies like a high-five landed after three whiffs: a rewarding win on account of the stumbles it took to get there Peyton Robinson is a freelance film writer based in Chicago Grigny Vipers vs Paris Zalmi Mitry vs Paris Universite Club Royal 94 vs Paris Zalmi Mitry vs Grigny Vipers Ekota CC vs Paris Universite Club Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission It’s not that the longtime roommates and besties seem like they’d be opposed to kicking back in the company of Mary Jane but between Dreux’s anxiety over an upcoming job interview; Alyssa’s freeloading boyfriend Keshawn (Joshua David Neal); and the nine hours they have to avoid eviction the pair just don’t have the luxury of getting high where it has been legal for nearly a decade sold in Apple Store–style emporiums to overwhelmed moms in search of sleep aids and wellness bros looking to microdose Like the crumbling Baldwin Village apartment complex Dreux and Alyssa live in and the characters don’t need it as common ground and a deep familiarity with economic insecurity the characters in One of Them Days are desperate to get just the slightest bit ahead and escape the paycheck-to-paycheck grind a possibility that keeps eluding them despite Dreux’s plans and Alyssa’s manifesting which was written by Rap Sh!t showrunner Syreeta Singleton and directed by Lawrence Lamont that it’s able to balance the exhaustion its characters feel with the goofiness of the episodes they find themselves in an absurd parade of funny people ranging from comedians like Katt Williams and Lil Rel Howery to relative newcomers like Aziza Scott who steals the show as local villainess Berniece an artist who falls somewhere between free spirit and flake SZA eases into her first acting role like someone who has been doing this all along she looks like a doodle of sensual satisfaction when Dreux exasperatedly finds her sprawled in bed having ended up there with Keshawn when she was supposed to be talking to him about moving out who has been waiting tables during the night shift at Norms after failing to finish her business degree Palmer makes good use of a charisma that could power whole city blocks you start to wonder why Palmer isn’t one of the biggest stars in the world by now though part of the problem is that she’s a creature of comedy Even when the writing and pacing falls slack in this one she wrings laughs out of scenes with screwball physicality and surprising line readings She makes hay out of a gasped-out “He knew how to clean this whole time!” when discovering that Keshawn has absconded with his sneaker collection and what was meant to be their rent money in her neighbor’s unofficial corner store into a masterfully choreographed bit of lustful awkwardness Dreux and Alyssa have what looks like a familiar dynamic: Dreux the uptight one in search of control Alyssa the loosey-goosey one urging her friend to worry less whose poor choices range from being dickmatized enough to trust Keshawn with rent to taking a pair of power-line sneakers belonging to a local gangster Alyssa’s woo-woo outlook seems as reasonable as Dreux’s more traditional attempts to get ahead when the game is so rigged that every wrong move seems to incur a lifetime penalty Among the stops on Dreux and Alyssa’s journey are a blood bank where a stripper turned nurse played by Janelle James lets an increasingly gray Dreux donate extra pints and a payday-loan place that touts a 1,900.5 percent APR rate But the key location is the apartment complex which may be run by a hard-ass landlord named Uche (Rizi Timane) with no patience for due process and which may shed chunks of ceiling plaster whenever a door gets slammed but which is home to a long-term community the movie treats with wry affection When the place gets its inaugural white girl played with perky obliviousness by Maude Apatow the residents gather to take in her sweet smile and reactive rescue dog with the resignation of people who are well aware that she represents the beginning of the end but she comes from a plane of existence where everyone has a laptop job their rental units have already been renovated and no one laughs in their face upon the sight of their credit score the way a loan admin played by the excellent Keyla Monterroso Mejia does upon pulling up Dreux’s have to extract their happy ending by facing possible death This is the kind of comedy that wants its scrappy heroes to succeed — though when Dreux and Alyssa do Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York CSPT Sarcelles vs Saint Denis Stallions PFC Sarcelles vs UIF Evry CSPT Sarcelles vs AC Stains PFC Sarcelles vs Dreux UIF Evry vs AC Stains One of Them Days written by Syreeta Singleton produced by Issa Rae (Insecure) and under the direction of Lawrence Lamont was released on January 17 It stars Keke Palmer as Dreux Jones and SZA as Alyssa in her feature film debut They play two friends that are facing eviction of their shared apartment and have to race against the clock to keep a roof over their heads and their friendship intact I had the privilege of seeing the buddy comedy for free I curated an in-depth review that contains spoilers “Just one of them days that a girl goes through,” singer and songwriter Don’t Take It Personal (Just One Of Dem Days) Dreux and Alyssa are taking it personal because Alyssa’s ‘boyfriend’ Keshawn (Joshua David Neal) took off with their rent money It is the first of the month and their landlord demands their payment by 6 p.m The girls track down Keshawn at the home of Berniece (Aziza Scott) who he has been cheating on Alyssa with Berniece is the neighborhood’s bougie bully with a bad temper Scott played this role tremendously well and reminded me of the character Keshawn reveals that he stole the girls’ money and used it to invest in his T-shirt company I fault Alyssa for staying with a man that is obviously a leach (he littered their apartment with his shoes and clothes while never pitching in on rent) Alyssa seems like the type of person to see the potential in others which is why she heavily instilled positive affirmations onto Dreux throughout the movie Dreux second guessed herself a lot while Alyssa was creative free-spirited out of the two These roles were played to perfection by Palmer and SZA as it matched their offscreen personalities Berniece also gets knocked down by a truck door as she chased the girls out of her apartment This was another added problem for them to deal with as the film progresses A scene that had the theater roaring in laughter was when Dreux and Alyssa went to a sketchy loan bank and an homeless street prophet named Lucky (Katt Williams) However the teller told them their credit scores were so low that she laughed in their face which made the girls leave in defeat I would like to add that Williams’ comedic timing needs to be studied because I am pretty sure all his lines were ad-libbed (he’s just that legendary!) The girls went through the most crazy adventures in one day; Dreux donated blood at the blood donation center and the stripper turned nurse played by the hilarious Janelle James (Abbott Elementary) loses all her blood Alyssa gets electrocuted after finding expensive rare Jordans hanging off a utility pole Alyssa came up with the ‘brilliant’ idea to sell the shoes off of E-Bay in order to pay their rent on time little did they know that the Jordans were owned by a ruthless gang leader Dreux goes to a job interview and it goes surprisingly well until Berniece shows outside Alyssa and Dreux get beaten up by her and she steals their money which results in them nearly losing their friendship King Lolo calls them about the missing Jordans and tells them they have until 5 p.m to give the shoes back or he will kill them They eventually return back to the apartment where their landlord has went through on evicting them and puts all their belongings on the curb outside Even though he gave them a notice at the start of the movie doesn’t make his decision justifiable Bethany (Maude Apatow) who offers to buy one of Alyssa’s paintings Upon seeing Bethany’s large following on social media the girls decided to promote and throw an impromptu art gallery that evening to raise money that they owe to King Lolo This turn out successful and Dreux’s interviewer was one of the attendees; told her to expect a call offer for the job Things were starting to look up for the girls until King Lolo arrives and Alyssa told Dreux to stall him because who was giving up their hard-earned money King Lolo didn’t take their plan too kindly and shots are fired The girls flee to their abandoned apartment where Keshawn is there with candles to win back Alyssa King Lolo finds the trio but a piece of the ceiling knocks him and the candles out Firefighters arrive to rescue them and one of the firefighters ended up being Dreux’s crush Maniac (Patrick Cage) who she thought was a killer at first but turns out King Lolo gets arrested for not paying back delinquent loans (thanks to Alyssa for tipping off the loan bank) The girls’ friendship is stronger than ever and Keshawn is definitely out of the picture They now live in their newly refurbished apartment I wasn’t expecting the movie to be as thrilling and adventurous as it was because of how it was being promoted on social media the promotion depicted the movie as corny but I was proven wrong by the stellar acting from the leading stars and supporting actors Each of them delivered an amazing performance making the film truly a must see The Independent Voice of The University of Tennessee Martin © Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv France vs Sweden, Match 5 France vs Sweden, Match 6 France vs Sweden, Match 7 Penn researchers are playing the long game to build the cleaner As Trump and Musk lay waste to climate initiatives With travel bans and deportations unfolding across the country and college campuses Penn’s international students are bracing for impact this Philly barber forges connections and inspires confidence The Penn professor utilizes his prowess in storytelling to fight the climate crisis The Ecuadorian–born Kichwa senior creates space for Indigenous populations at Penn and at home Carrying 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' with me through eight years Sudden grief for what was once home and a greater manifestation of long–term climate anxiety but we must also acknowledge the slow–burning artistry behind it The garage–punk group gets up close and personal at the Foto Club but not without leaving her mark on the Penn music community The artist's high–gloss melancholy gestures at depth 'Staged' espouses the enduring pull of photography for grasping the story of our lives Where the ‘Ecology of Fashion’ exhibit at Drexel’s Academy of Natural Sciences works and where it doesn’t A review of Octavia Butler’s ‘Parable of the Sower' What Street was up to this past week: Magdalena Bay concert in NYC The rise of dupes threatens the luxury industry what we remember most is the friendship around which the film revolves the friendships it’s chosen to showcase have been male.  Beyond absolutely exceeding its comedic potential it weaves in threads of social justice to create a masterpiece that balances comedy and commentary with ease.  Palmer stars as Dreux, a waitress living in Los Angeles with her artist best friend Alyssa (SZA). When they find out that Keshawn (Joshua David Neal) they’re faced with two options: find a way to get $1,500 by 6 p.m Dreux has a job interview at four—and if she gets the gig they’ll never have to stress about money again.  Cue a series of increasingly ridiculous endeavors to get the money back. Their first attempt tracks Keshawn to his other girlfriend Berniece’s (Aziza Scott) house in an attempt to retrieve the cash and the carnage they do to Berniece’s house sends her off on a quest for revenge they’re denied a loan from a woman who laughs hysterically over Dreux’s credit score of 122 and resort to a blood bank where each pint donated gets them $70 In one of the film’s most memorable scenes very nearly dead Dreux half–conscious in the chair after giving four pints—half of her body’s blood volume Alyssa gets into a fight with the phlebotomist Alyssa climbs a telephone pole to grab a pair of Jordans off of the wires Dreux manages to get an even $1,500 for them he calls them with a threat: give him $5,000 by the end of the day or die.  They return home to find their belongings on the curb, and all seems lost until Bethany (Maude Apatow) a white girl who’s just moved into their complex sees one of Alyssa’s paintings and asks how much it is realizing the real potential behind Alyssa’s work organizes an art show that both impresses her prospective employer and earns them all the money they need to avoid death by Lolo The film wraps up neatly: a fire saves the pair from Lolo’s wrath and exposes their landlord’s negligence allowing them a pretty hefty insurance claim A neighbor offers to take them in while they get back on their feet and the two celebrate over a few Hot Cheeto martinis—which One of Them Days is a comedy first and foremost—its blood bank scene is both hilarious and horrifying almost throwaway delivery of Dreux’s one–liners further cements Keke Palmer as one of the modern greats—but more than that Dreux and Alyssa’s relationship has no element of familial or romantic obligation and is just as—if not more—high–stakes and emotionally impactful for both of them than their other commitments From the moment Dreux gets into Alyssa’s car They fall into place with an ease that only comes with having known someone for your whole life even when they’re resolving their fight in a burning apartment building “I meant a lot of what I said,” she admits she recognizes Alyssa’s flaws and loves her anyway This isn’t about him—he’s interrupting her moment with Dreux.  appears that Dreux begins to feel comfortable enough to charm the hell out of both of them And while she initially loses the offer due to the fight outside Shayla is the one who extends a second chance after seeing the art show “I actually grew up in the Jungles,” she tells Dreux hope is based on their common ground.  where it’s a duo.” A long 20 years passed between B*A*P*S (1997) and Girls Trip (2017) and another eight separate the latter from One of Them Days Here’s to hoping it won’t be that long until the next one—the performances in this film prove that these friendships deserve to be appreciated.  delivered to your inbox every Friday morning UIF Evry vs Dreux Saint Denis Stallions vs AC Stains CSPT Sarcelles vs Dreux Saint Denis Stallions vs UIF Evry PFC Sarcelles vs AC Stains it’s hard not to get attached to characters who desperately need to make rent director Lawrence Lamont’s film debut One of Them Days is an instant comic hit for anyone who has experienced the horrors of being broke On the same day hard-working diner waitress Dreux (Keke Palmer Nope) has a job interview that could promote her into the secure higher-paying franchise manager position of her dreams her ditzy best friend and roommate Alyssa (SZA) wrongly trusts her boyfriend (Joshua David Neal) with the girls’ rent money (he “invests” it into something useless) and the two have to make back the $1,500 before the end of the day—or face eviction from their apartment in the Baldwin Village neighborhood of south Los Angeles One of Them Days mines from the pretty simple buddy comedy formula wherein one stressed friend desperately tries to get out of trouble while the other is laid back to the point of disaster the natural chemistry between Palmer and SZA (an acclaimed R&B artist who sticks the landing in her acting debut) in addition to 20-laughs-per-minute screenwriting and narratively satisfying plot twists from Syreeta Singleton (a writer who worked on Issa Rae’s HBO show Insecure) makes the dynamic feel fresh again Palmer’s Dreux and SZA’s Alyssa devise several ways to make their cash in a single day all while being pursued by the needy now-ex-boyfriend and the girl he’s been cheating on Alyssa with The story’s use of metaphor in their moneymaking attempts is notable as they try to secure a payday loan with a 1,900.5% interest rate (and fail because Dreux has a credit score of 122) and later discover the loan provider literally hunts down delinquent clients A blood bank literally bleeds Dreux dry (because the more blood you donate Alyssa gets electrocuted and must escape an ambulance bill while in pursuit of a pair of expensive shoes hanging from a telephone wire Their apartment’s constant state of dilapidation even saves them at one point just another day in the life under capitalism One of Them Days ultimately does conclude with a feeling of hope The characters (especially Alyssa) feel as if they grow in a way that matters and the way they get their money back with the help of the characters in their neighborhood (including those played by Maude Apatow Vanessa Bell Calloway and Lil Rel Howery) feels well-earned rather than magically resolved you leave the story with its characters taking steps upward even if it’s only one at a time and the girls’ combined credit score is still only 447 Great chemistry between Palmer & SZA; vivid and loving portrait of a neighborhood Pretty predictable premise; over-the-top humor might not work for everyone Mo Charnot is a Chicago-born graduate from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville Mo joined the SFR staff in July 2023 to cover education including Santa Fe Public Schools and the Santa Fe Community College France vs Sweden, Match 1 France vs Sweden, Match 2