Let’s be real for a second. The R-rated comedy has been on life support. For years, it felt like Hollywood forgot how to just let two funny people be chaotic on screen without trying to save the multiverse or set up a five-movie franchise. Then came the trailer for One of Them Days, and suddenly, the internet collectively exhaled. You’ve probably seen the clips by now. Keke Palmer is vibrating at a frequency of pure stress, and SZA—making her massive big-screen debut—is trying to keep it together while their lives basically catch fire in Los Angeles.
It’s a simple premise. Honestly, the best comedies usually are.
Directed by Lawrence Lamont and written by Syreeta Singleton, the film follows best friends and roommates Alyson (Palmer) and Kaylee (SZA). They have 24 hours to scrounge up rent money after a series of increasingly ridiculous disasters. If they don't? They’re out on the street. It’s a "ticking clock" movie. It’s loud. It’s messy. It feels like the spiritual successor to Friday or B.A.P.S., but updated for a generation that’s currently drowning in inflation and side-hustle culture.
The Chemistry That Actually Makes One of Them Days Work
You can’t fake this kind of energy. If the lead duo doesn't click, the whole movie collapses like a house of cards. Luckily, the pairing of Keke Palmer and SZA is a stroke of casting genius that most studios would have been too scared to try. Keke is a veteran. She’s been doing this since she was a kid, and her comedic timing in Nope and Hustlers proved she’s arguably one of the best physical comedians working today. She uses her whole face. She uses her whole body.
Then you have SZA.
People were skeptical. It’s natural to be wary when a Grammy-winning superstar pivots to acting, but SZA isn't playing a "version" of her stage persona here. She’s grounded. She’s the foil to Keke’s high-octane panic. Watching them navigate the absurdity of an LA "bad day" feels less like a scripted movie and more like you’re eavesdropping on a FaceTime call between two people who have been friends since middle school.
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The production comes from Issa Rae’s HOORAE banner, which explains a lot about the tone. There is a specific texture to how Rae produces content—it’s polished but deeply rooted in authentic Black friendship and the specific brand of "struggle" that involves having a college degree but still being one bad parking ticket away from financial ruin.
Breaking Down the "Bad Day" Sub-Genre
We’ve seen this template before, right? Think After Hours, Go, or Superbad. The "One Night/One Day" movie works because it heightens the stakes of everyday life. In One of Them Days, the villain isn't a monster or a serial killer. It’s the banking system. It’s a broken car. It’s the sheer impossibility of making five hundred dollars in an afternoon without doing something potentially illegal or deeply embarrassing.
The film leans heavily into the R-rating. Thank god.
We’ve spent too long in the desert of PG-13 comedies that pull their punches. This movie doesn't do that. The dialogue is sharp, filthy, and fast. Syreeta Singleton, who previously served as showrunner for Rap Sh!t, brings that same rhythmic, punchy writing style here. The jokes aren't just "set up, punchline." They come from character. They come from the specific frustration of being a woman in your 20s trying to navigate a city that is designed to price you out of existence.
Why the Supporting Cast Matters
While Keke and SZA are the engine, the world around them is populated by a rogue's gallery of characters that make the world feel lived-in. You’ve got appearances from:
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- Maury Povich (yes, that Maury, playing a version of himself that is surprisingly game for the bit).
- Katt Williams, who brings a level of unpredictable energy that only he can provide.
- Lil Rel Howery, who has basically become the MVP of modern ensemble comedies.
These cameos don't feel like "stunt casting" just for the sake of a viral tweet. They serve the purpose of making Alyson and Kaylee’s day feel increasingly surreal. Every time they think they’ve found a solution to their rent problem, a new, weirder obstacle appears in the form of a disgruntled neighbor or a bizarre job opportunity.
Addressing the Skepticism: Is it Just a "Twitter Movie"?
There was a lot of chatter when the first images dropped that One of Them Days was just "content" designed for social media engagement. That’s a cynical way to look at movies, but I get it. We live in an era of TikTok-bait. However, the actual craft on display here suggests otherwise. Lawrence Lamont’s direction is vibrant. He captures Los Angeles not as a postcard, but as a sprawling, hot, frustrating maze.
The film handles the "broke" aesthetic with more honesty than most Hollywood productions. Their apartment looks like a real apartment. Their clothes look like they’ve been washed a hundred times. There is a tangible sense of desperation underneath the laughs. That’s the "secret sauce" of great comedy—it has to be born from something real. If the audience doesn't believe they’ll actually get evicted, the jokes don't land as hard.
The Impact of the Soundtrack and Style
You can’t have a movie starring SZA and produced by Issa Rae without a killer soundtrack. But it’s not just about the songs. The movie uses sound design to amplify the stress of the day. The constant pinging of notifications, the hum of LA traffic, the silence of a declined debit card—it all builds a sensory experience of a "bad day."
Visually, the film avoids that flat, "Netflix comedy" look. There’s a warmth to the cinematography that reminds me of 90s cult classics. It’s bright, it’s colorful, and it moves fast. The editing is snappy, cutting away before a joke overstays its welcome, which is a rare mercy in modern comedy where scenes often feel like improvised riffs that went on three minutes too long in the editing room.
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Why This Movie is a Win for Sony and TriStar
Sony Pictures took a swing here. In a market dominated by sequels, a mid-budget, original R-rated comedy is a gamble. But One of Them Days is exactly what the theatrical experience needs to stay diverse. Not everything needs to be a $200 million spectacle. Sometimes, people just want to sit in a dark room with a hundred strangers and laugh at someone else’s misfortune.
The film also marks a significant moment for Black women in comedy. It’s not a "trauma" movie. It’s not a "historical" movie. It’s a movie about being young, being friends, and being stressed out. That kind of representation—the right to be silly and messy—is just as important as the heavy-hitting dramas that usually get the awards buzz.
Key Takeaways for Viewers
If you're heading into the theater or catching this on a stream, keep a few things in mind. First, pay attention to the background gags. The world-building in the storefronts and the people passing by in the streets of LA is top-tier. Second, watch Keke Palmer’s physical performance. There’s a scene involving a botched attempt to get quick cash that should be studied for its comedic choreography.
- Check your expectations: This isn't a high-concept sci-fi. It's a character-driven romp.
- The "SZA Factor": Look for how she uses her natural deadpan delivery to ground the more over-the-top moments.
- Cultural References: The movie is packed with deep-cut nods to 90s and 2000s Black cinema that reward repeat viewings.
Actionable Steps for Comedy Fans
To really appreciate what One of Them Days is doing, you should revisit the classics that paved the way. Watch Friday (1995) to see the blueprint of the "neighborhood bad day." Then, check out Broad City for the evolution of the "chaotic female friendship" dynamic. Understanding where these tropes come from makes the subversion in this film much more satisfying.
Supporting original comedies like this is the only way to ensure they keep getting made. If we want more movies that aren't based on comic books or toy lines, we have to show up for the "small" stories. One of Them Days proves that you don't need a massive budget to tell a compelling, hilarious story—you just need two great leads, a sharp script, and a relatable problem.
Go see it with your best friend. Ideally, the one you’d trust to help you hide a body—or at least the one who would help you scam a landlord when the chips are down. That’s the energy this movie captures perfectly. It’s a love letter to the people who stay by your side when everything goes sideways.
How to Navigate a "Bad Day" (The Alyson & Kaylee Way)
- Assess the Damage: Before panicking, figure out the exact dollar amount you need.
- Leverage the Network: Call that one cousin who always has a "legal-adjacent" hookup.
- Stay Together: The moment the duo splits up in a movie like this, things get worse. Safety in numbers.
- Laugh at the Absurdity: If you don't laugh, you'll cry. And crying doesn't pay the rent.