Allan Watched "One of Them Days
Endlessly funny with top-of-the-line joke writing, One of Them Days is an instant classic and one of the most genuinely enjoyable films I have seen in a long time.
Buddy Comedy Classic?
There are many ways to try and size up how well a comedy film is made, but for me, when talking about a straightforward comedy, the thing I care about is the quantity and quality of laughs. In One of Them Days, Syreeta Singleton crafts together a film that is filled to the brim with jokes and hits you with multiple side-splittingly hilarious scenes that make the movie fly by. This is the frequent Issa Rae collaborator's debut film script, and it is marvelously done.
Now a well-written joke only goes so far if it is not delivered properly, and luckily for us Keke Palmer and SZA do not disappoint, driving a production that stands toe-to-toe with the great buddy comedies of all time.
Palmer showcases her legitimate star power as Dreux Jones, a waitress who is looking to go corporate despite all of the challenges thrown at her in life. Many of those challenges come from her roommate Alyssa (SZA), whose bad choice is men leads to losing their rent money and sending the two spiraling as they try to pay their eviction-happy landlord who is gentrifying their apartment complex. Every stop on their journey to make the money back is ridiculous and eventful, and I loved every wild second of it.
Keke and SZA
Palmer has put together a lot of great performances in her almost 25-year career, but this feels like her best yet. She is the heart of the film and is in virtually every scene. SZA is tremendous in her acting debut, but Palmer is the film.
She shoots jokes from the hip effortlessly and shines in the heaviest moments as we see Dreux struggle to make the most of herself. In a world of comedy films focused on characters that are either rubber-stamped or so out of left field you feel like it is an inside joke, Dreux is the type of protagonist you can really root for even while we spend the whole movie laughing at and with her.
New Jersey's own SZA holds her own though, and it is amazing to see someone with no acting credits be so funny and come across so naturally. It is a credit to the script and Lawrence Lamont's direction, but you do not see debuts that pop quite like SZA's.
No Third-Act Blues
The worst part of every comedy is always when things slow down in the third act as things seem hopeless, and it is the films that pull off the tone switch these stories require that makes them monumental. One of Them Days is a masterclass in how to accelerate through the needed rock-bottom moments and glide pristinely to the finish line.
Don't get me wrong, the final 20 minutes are bananas and at times pull you out of Palmer's performance, but it settles in a great place for the heroes we have been following for a full day. Buddy movies in particular need the moment the two break apart in order to become whole again, and when done correctly it is a work of art. One of Them Days does not miss from the outset, and it is a movie I cannot wait to watch again.
Random Thoughts
The small roles are executed perfectly in this movie, but no one steals a scene like Janelle James. I had to suppress a legitimate squeaky laugh during her scene. As my friends know, that is a surefire way to ruin a movie for everyone around me...
I want to rewatch One of Them Days with a tally clicker and count the jokes. There is literally a laugh every minute. It is setup-punchline over and over again.
Maude Apatow plays the role of Maude Apatow perfectly.
Hot Cheeto martinis have to be the most disgusting thing in the whole world.
Katt Williams is billed as a "star" of the film, but he is more of a fever-dreamt character that was not needed and completely necessary at the same time. He is a huge part of the loan scene and it is one of the smarter and funnier bits I have seen in a comedy in a while.
Keyla Monterroso Mejia was not a comedian I was familiar with, but after her performance as the loan officer, I believe she should be in every movie.
The blood bank scene is not for the faint of heart.
Quick Hits
How many times have I seen this movie?
Once, and I will watch it the second it lands on a streaming service.
Where was I watching it?
In a full movie theater eating popcorn and drinking a diet root beer. The way comedy films should be consumed.
Favorite trivia about the movie
Maybe not trivia but SZA taking everyone by surprise in the film and then a month later singing and dancing on the grave of Drake's soul is a pretty good run for a performer (even if her mic wasn't on at the Super Bowl).
Favorite part
The loan scene and the blood bank scene. I can't choose one. They are both perfect.
Least favorite part
The Keshawn parts fell flat because that trope of the parasitic boyfriend is played out.
Would I recommend this movie?
1000000000%
So What Does Allan Give It?
Two Gold Thumbs Up! Overall, a score of 93. The world needs great comedy movies like One of Them Days, and it is an instant classic.
