Once upon a time, you could make a movie about a mismatched couple of friends who have to solve a problem. This movie would go into theaters and become a respectable hit and sometimes create sequels. But now far too many comedies, regardless of quality, only show up on streaming services. They’re deemed not big enough for the spectacle of an auditorium screen nor are they arty enough to compete for awards. Thankfully, “One of Them Days” is headed to theaters, brave enough to be an exception and solid enough to warrant this release strategy. There’s nothing particularly unexpected in Lawrence Lamont’s buddy comedy, but when it has no issue providing laughs thanks to stars Keke Palmer and SZA and their supporting cast, you can escape to the theater and have a good time rather than laughing by yourself in front of your TV.
Dreux (Palmer) is responsible, hard-working, and trying to get a promotion to franchise manager at her restaurant job. Her best friend and roommate Alyssa (SZA) is a good-natured but somewhat less responsible artist who doesn’t seem to realize that her boyfriend Keshawn (Joshua David Neal) is a no-good moocher. That becomes a major problem when Alyssa hands the rent money off to Keshawn to pay the landlord only to discover that Keshawn spent it on flammable acrylic shirts. Now Dreux and Alyssa have to race against the clock to put together the rent money before 6 p.m., but they only find more problems as they wind their way around the city.
In terms of its structure and genre, there’s nothing unexpected in “One of Them Days.” You could set your watch by the second act turn when this mismatched duo will have a blow-up fight that fractures their friendship only to have it repaired and strengthened by the film’s end. We watch these comedies not because we want the genre upended, but because it’s comforting. We want to see antics, and as long as the antics are enjoyable, then the movie works. The plot machinations don’t really matter as much as it moves our characters into increasingly outlandish situations where they get to play off other oddballs.
Lamont and screenwriter Syreeta Singleton know the genre well, and that gives them room to create fun set-ups like Dreux and Alyssa trying to make money by donating blood, going to a snotty payday lender or running from Keshawn’s vengeful side-piece Bernice (Aziza Scott). It’s all very silly, but the stakes are always clear (the film even keeps throwing up a timer to show how close the duo are to eviction) and the problem of trying to stay in your crappy apartment because it’s better than being on the street is relatable.
Of course, a buddy comedy doesn’t work if you don’t care about the buddies. Thankfully, Palmer and SZA are more than up to the task. While I wouldn’t put them at the level of an indelible comic duo, there’s certainly the beginnings here of a strong double act. Neither actor is trying to steal the show, and they have the right balance of chemistry where they’re playing off each other. Most importantly, we can buy these women as friends, so that even as the craziness increases, we accept them standing by each other as they reach an inevitable breaking point.
Lamont also stacks the deck with more than a few capable supporting comic players. Yes, you’ve got a legend like Katt Williams in the mix as “Lucky,” who cautions the women not to go to the payday lender, but I was surprised at how every scene had someone who was fun to watch in addition to our leads. You’ve got Janelle James as a blood bank worker on her first day, Keyla Monterroso Mejia as dismissive loan officer, and a bit of a scene-stealing performance from Neal as the dimwitted Keshawn who carefully walks the line between being outright loathsome and too silly to openly despise. When the whole outline of your movie is, “Our characters go here and run into mischief,” you have to make sure the entire cast is game.
“One of Them Days” likely won’t enter anyone’s list of the best buddy comedies of all time, but there’s something to be said for playing the genre well, especially at a time when audiences are losing comedies unless they’re draped in CGI spectacle or arthouse trappings. I fully admit I laughed a lot at “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Kinds of Kindness,” but it’s nice to walk into a comedy that is first and foremost a comedy. It’s nice laughing with other audience members, and while I’m sure there’s frequently a temptation to wait for streaming, “One of Them Days” is a film that’s going to work better with a crowd. Perhaps I’m grading on a curve due to the dearth of theatrical comedies, but I also can’t deny that Palmer and SZA had me laughing for the whole runtime.
A Sony Pictures release, “One of Them Days” opens exclusively in theaters on Jan. 17.