‘One of Them Days’ Review: Keke Palmer and SZA Power the Kind of Joyride It Feels Like Cinemas Are Missing These Days

Director Lawrence Lamont makes his feature debut with this mad caper about a last-minute scramble for rent money.

There is a moment early on in the new movie “One of Them Days” where you are treated to the full range of what Keke Palmer‘s face can do. Playing Dreux, a waitress in a crisis over one Los Angeles day, she is caught off guard when her crush Maniac (Patrick Cage) enters a room. Her eyes dart side to side, eyeing him up, but with the nerves of someone about to melt. When he speaks to her, her normal loquaciousness disappears as she babbles about honey buns. It’s a masterclass in turning small moments into big comedy. 

Throughout the very funny film directed by Lawrence Lamont and written by Syreeta Singleton, you are treated time and time again to the brilliance of Palmer — how she can transform any bit of dialogue into a laugh line, or make her eyes glimmer with gags. Yes, the movie marks the acting debut of the great singer SZA, who acquits herself very well, but it’s primarily an argument for why Palmer should be a massive movie star. 

Beyond that, “One of Them Days” is just the kind of joyride it feels like cinemas are missing these days: A well done studio comedy. Despite being clearly indebted to “Friday,” it has its own clear voice courtesy of a snappy script by Singleton that aims to be a good time, while rooting its story in a deeply felt relationship between the two main characters. 

Their dynamic is quickly established in the opening moments, which find Dreux hustling at an outpost of Norm’s diner — an LA staple — schmoozing with every customer, charming the old ladies and the still-drunk gals. SZA’s Alyssa arrives to pick her up, flustered, thinking she’s late, which is typical for her. For as motivated as Dreux is, Alyssa is equally flighty. She’s an artist hooking up with a vain hottie named Keshawn (Joshua David Neal), who has a giant shoe collection and an even bigger penis. (The glimpse of what he’s packing is uproarious.) 

Still, their friendship means that Dreux trusts Alyssa, which turns out to be a mistake. Dreux assigns Alyssa to give their stern landlord in Baldwin Village the rent money. Alyssa instead hands it to Keshawn, who spends it on himself, leaving Dreux and Alyssa until 6 p.m. to procure $1,500 or they get kicked out of their place. What follows is a madcap race around their neighborhood and surrounding area that is a screw you to shitty landlords but a love letter to this corner of LA. (Full disclosure: The ending hits unnervingly close to home given the recent fires in the city.) 

Thus begins the adventure which takes them to a showdown with a fearsome foe called “Big Booty” Berniece (the absurdly ferocious Aziza Scott), a callous payday loans center, a blood bank, and a telephone pole. Along the way they anger a gangster named King Lolo (Amin Joseph) and face off against a biscuit bandit, who steals orders from the takeout window of Church’s Chicken. And on top of all of this, Dreux has to make an important job interview. 

Part of the pleasure of their journey is seeing who they’ll encounter along the way. “One of Them Days” though, blessedly, is not packed with super famous people. Instead, the obstacles for Dreux and Alyssa are simply played by sharp comic actors at the top of their game. 

For instance, at the payday center they are faced with the maniacally bright eyed Kathy, portrayed by Keyla Monterroso Mejia, best known as Maria Sofia Estrada on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” She breaks down in unending, deranged laughter when she looks at Dreux’s abysmal credit score. Outside the window there is Lucky — the perfect Katt Williams — a homeless guy who acts as a sort of guardian angel for our heroines. When they go to the blood bank they are faced with “Abbott Elementary” star Janelle James as a former stripper-turned-nurse who has no idea how to insert a needle. 

Occasionally, it feels like the absurdity of the capers reaches a degree that feels too unrealistic. (See: the moment when Alyssa gets electrocuted like something out of a Bugs Bunny cartoon.) For the most part, however, the action is propulsive and Singleton’s screenplay is cannily constructed. Almost nothing is inserted by accident. You might think that the appearance of Maude Apatow’s daffy white girl who moves in to gentrify the apartment building with her rescue dog might be a one off joke. Instead, she has a role to play later on, as does Alyssa’s artwork. 

It’s almost shocking to discover that this is Lamont’s feature directorial debut. His previous credits include numerous Big Sean videos and episodes of “Rap Sh!t,” the Max series for which Singleton was showrunner. Lamont has a knack for finding vibrant compositions that make use of the Los Angeles landscape, and the expressive faces of his leads. 

Because, of course, it’s down to Palmer and SZA to carry this journey. SZA, whose acting abilities have been previously untested, carries a supreme chillness to her, which makes you believe how her character moves through life with sometimes aggravatingly little worry. And yet it’s almost as if SZA herself knows that all she has to do to shine is allow Palmer to take the reins. Give her a million more star vehicles. It’s what the movies need. 

Grade: B+

“One of Them Days” is being released in theaters January 17 by Sony.

Want to stay up to date on IndieWire’s film reviews and critical thoughts? Subscribe here to our newly launched newsletter, In Review by David Ehrlich, in which our Chief Film Critic and Head Reviews Editor rounds up the best new reviews and streaming picks along with some exclusive musings — all only available to subscribers.