‘One of Them Days’ Review: Keke Palmer and SZA Lead Breezy Comedy
Keke Palmer and SZA make one hell of a comedic duo in the uproariously funny ‘One of Them Days’, a perfect January surprise for moviegoers looking for pure escapism.
It feels strange to discuss the state of the studio comedy when Sony didn’t want to give Lawrence Lamont’s One of Them Days a chance in cinemas while Netflix is forcing moviegoers to stay home to seek out the (unwatchable) Back in Action with Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx. I wouldn’t blame viewers who were gullible enough to choose the latter, as the movie seems to act as a vehicle for a more-than-earned comeback for Diaz. However, it has so far been the most agonizing watch of the year and will bring little to no reward to an audience who can actively get entertained if they can drive near a cinema to enjoy a shorter and funnier affair with Keke Palmer and SZA.
Palmer may have less pull than, say, Cameron Diaz, but she is a genuine comedic talent. This was evidently illustrated through her career-best work in Jordan Peele’s Nope, where her most memorable moments occurred through note-perfect comedic timing. In that regard, One of Them Days feels like an extension of the talents she showcased for the first time in Peele’s film, developed inside a comedy that feels very much like it’s tipping the hat to classics such as Friday and House Party. Certainly, the carefree aesthetic Lamont, screenwriter Syreeta Singleton, and cinematographer Ava Barkofsky put forward feels reminiscent of an era of Black comedies audiences don’t get at this scale anymore, let alone released in a cinema.
That’s why it feels so perplexing that Sony would cancel a promotional screening for the film in the area that this critic leaves because comedies like One of Them Days never get released in the post-COVID timeline we live in. Hell, if we were still living through the worst days of the COVID crisis, perhaps Sony would’ve unceremoniously shifted their plans and released it on PVOD (or maybe Netflix would’ve acquired it, as they did with several of their films at the time). The fact that it managed to get a theatrical release at all feels miraculous in and of itself, and the fact that it’s this good when alarm bells were ringing that it perhaps wasn’t worth your time also helps.
Yes, Lamont doesn’t reinvent the wheel with this anxiety-inducing story of two best friends, Dreux (Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA), attempting to find money to pay rent to their landlord, Uche (Rizi Timane), or face eviction, nor does he have to. This movie focuses solely on the chemistry between the two leads via a paper-thin story that serves as an excuse to put them in one funny situation after the next. We’ve all seen this movie before, and Lamont, unfortunately, falls prey to some of the dramatic traps these comedies sadly can’t overcome before its climax.
However, what matters the most in such a comedy is how rock-solid the bond between the lead characters are. In that regard, Lamont succeeds in giving Palmer and SZA plenty of room to flex their comedic muscles, either through high-spirited moments of verbal clashes between themselves and various exuberant characters or in sequences where classic slapstick reaches a gnarlier side that few mainstream comedies even dare to treat. One such scene blends these two primary approaches, as Dreux and Alyssa decide to give blood to get as much money as possible via a blood donation bank.
It sounds like a good idea in isolation until the nurse on staff, Ruby (Janelle James), tells them it’s her first day on the job. Of course, we get the verbal comedy style James is known for in Abbott Elementary, but Lamont proceeds to take it up a notch with one hell of a bloody conclusion to an already hilarious scene. It could put off some viewers who preferred their comedy more subdued, but One of Them Days is anything but that. It’s loud, unapologetic in its non-political correctness, gets frequently over-the-top, and consistently overcomplicates its story as it reaches its climax.
Overcomplicating the story can be a double-edged sword because it can make your film more insane in the developments it takes. However, it can also reduce some of the more substantial character work Lamont attempts to develop. For instance, Dreux has a crush on a man simply known as “Maniac” (Patrick Cage), but he is posited as a gangster (from the way he dresses to the hatchet found in his car to his nickname). Of course, astute viewers will notice that they’re all red herrings, and the revelation of his true identity is hilarious. However, he doesn’t get much time on-screen throughout the film’s 97-minute runtime.
As a result, there’s nary a pulse of romance between Palmer and Cage because their relationship isn’t fleshed out. It spends more time on (unfunny) extended scenes with the apartment complex’s only white neighbor, Bethany (Maude Apatow), or creating a subplot involving gang leader King Lolo (Amin Joseph) also wanting to get money out of Dreux and Alyssa than drawing a compelling love story between the two. Only one or two more scenes could’ve sufficed in giving them a bit more romantic heft to work with when they (predictably) share their feelings toward one another near the end.
This dilutes some of One of Them Days’ comedic impact, alongside a telegraphed job interview bit that ends with a fight scene containing little to no dramatic tension since the loud needle drops are so overbearing it forces us to perceive the sequence in a specific direction. Still, Palmer and SZA’s work is so dynamic and infectious that it becomes difficult to resist their electric pairing. We already knew how great of an actor Palmer is, but in her feature film debut, SZA makes a great first impression with her expert sense of comedic timing and modulating complex emotional range during the film’s more dramatic scenes.
Yes, One of Them Days is far from being perfect. Still, in our current moviegoing era, where fewer studio comedies are theatrically released, what’s most important for the movie works so well you’ll be clamoring for more. Because of this, one hopes that this first collaboration between Palmer and SZA won’t be their last…