The South Los Angeles-set film, co-produced by Issa Rae, follows a wacky day in the life of two broke besties\/roommates Dreux (Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA, in her acting debut), as they race against the eviction clock after the latter\u2019s freeloading boyfriend (Joshua Neal) blows all of their rent money. Tasked with conjuring up $1,500 by the end of the day \u2014 and helping Dreux nail a corporate job interview that could change their lives \u2014 the pair\u2019s quick cash pursuit results in a ridiculous set of adventures that make for a rousing laugh-out-loud treat.<\/p>\n
In usual buddy comedy fashion, the chaotic plot in \u201cOne Of Them Days\u201d is filled with hilarious hijinks, all courtesy of Alyssa and Dreux\u2019s doomed-to-fail money schemes \u2014 from a messy blood bank blunder and power-line sneaker sale to a last resort attempt to borrow funds from the local payday-loan spot. <\/p>\n
The campy comedy also carves out a semi-heartening arc, spotlighting the two women\u2019s ride-or-die friendship and the challenges they struggle to overcome, both as a pair and as individuals. While Dreux\u2019s no-nonsense attitude drives her to aspire to become more than a lowly-paid waitress, free-spirit Alyssa grapples with getting out of her manifestation bubble to turn her full-time painter dreams into a fully realized reality. <\/p>\n
There\u2019s a particular charm to \u201cOne Of Them Days\u201d that finally revives the Black women buddy comedy for audiences who have been starved of one for almost 30 years, a fact that Rae pointed out in an interview with Deco Drive<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe haven\u2019t seen Black female buddy comedies since \u2018B*A*P*S\u2019 and even \u2018Girls Trip,\u2019\u201d she noted, \u201cbut buddy comedy specifically, where it\u2019s a duo.\u201d<\/p>\n That would explain fans\u2019 excitement \u2014 Black Twitter specifically<\/a> \u2014 when the \u201cOne Of Them Days\u201d trailer debuted last fall. Not only because it stars beloved multi-hyphenate Palmer, Grammy-winning singer SZA, and other Hollywood favorites, but also because it marks one of the very few times two Black women are front and center in a high-profile buddy comedy. <\/p>\n To truly understand that significance, one only needs to look at our short history in the subgenre.<\/p>\n Sony Pictures\/ Anne Marie Fox<\/p>\n In 1997, filmmaker Robert Townsend introduced the idea of two Black actresses helming a buddy comedy when he cast Halle Berry and the late Natalie Desselle-Reid<\/a> as Georgia homegirls Nisi and Mickey, respectively, in \u201cB.A.P.S.\u201d (short for Black American Princesses). The movie sees the eccentric Southern duo fly to Los Angeles in hopes of landing a long-shot music video audition, only to find themselves getting duped into scamming a wealthy dying millionaire for $10,000, plus room and board, in his fancy Beverly Hills mansion.<\/p>\n The goofy rags-to-riches story, albeit absurd in theory, was ahead of its time<\/a>, per less-than-stellar reviews<\/a> from film critics<\/a>. It showed a range of Black women\u2019s experiences, both joyous and fun, but also tough and riddled with hardships, in a comedic scenario (with a happy-ever-after, no less) that went unappreciated when it was first released. Still, the endearing comedy became a cult classic years later for audiences who recognized the niche space it carved for Black women that hadn\u2019t existed in comedic films before. <\/p>\n Much of that is credited to Berry and Desselle\u2019s undeniable synergy as a comedy duo, whose impact is still inspiring today.<\/p>\n \u201cOne Of Them Days\u201d director Lamont mentioned in an interview with Macro<\/a> that there was \u201cno true reference\u201d for his movie \u2014 though it still makes nods to the \u201cFriday\u201d franchise and other Black \u201990s classics \u2014 but Townsend\u2019s \u201cB.A.P.S.\u201d \u201cwas the closest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat [movie] made me think about the times I saw Black women in prominent roles, how that made me feel,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n It\u2019s not the only one that gave funny Black women the buddy comedy spotlight.<\/p>\n The other instance of Black women featured prominently in that film canon is \u201cGirls Trip,\u201d which arrived 20 years after \u201cB.A.P.S.\u201d tried to make its mark. The Malcolm D. Lee-directed film upped the ante this time with a college bestie foursome \u2014 affectionately nicknamed the Flossy Posse \u2014 that reunites at Essence Festival (Black women\u2019s annual summer pilgrimage to New Orleans) to rekindle their longtime bond.<\/p>\n Unlike its predecessor, the raunchy R-rated flick made a massive splash upon release, with numerous rave reviews<\/a> praising its heartwarming message<\/a> about Black sisterhood and female-driven comedy<\/a>. Perhaps because it depicted Black women\u2019s experiences more realistically (or acceptingly) than \u201cB.A.P.S.\u201d Nonetheless, \u201cGirls Trip\u201d picked up the torch and filled in gaps Hollywood seemed uninterested in catering to up until then. <\/p>\n The market for mainstream Black comedies hadn\u2019t been particularly robust in the early aughts or 2010s, especially those good enough to earn critics\u2019 approval. Black women buddy comedies weren\u2019t even on the radar. However, record box-office numbers<\/a> proved that \u201cGirls Trip\u201d was an outlier and a necessary offering that could open more doors for the genre.<\/p>\n A lot of that, of course, had to do with the pairing of Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tiffany Haddish and Regina Hall, the latter two best known for their comedic chops, and a hysterical script written by Tracy Oliver and Kenya Barris. Together, that formula cooked up a comical cultural story that put \u201cGirls Trip\u201d in the same conversation as smash staples like \u201cThe Hangover\u201d and \u201cBridesmaids.\u201d It even paved the way for an upcoming sequel<\/a> (though there\u2019s still no release date).<\/p>\n It also offered a glimmer of hope that Black women buddy comedies could see the light of day again, even if a years-long hiatus followed. Its commercial success alone is a testament to audiences\u2019 appetite for the subgenre. Hence why, Rae, Lamont, Singleton and the producers of \u201cOne Of Them Days\u201d saw fit to bring another lighthearted flick about us to the big screen. <\/p>\n Buddy comedies may be silly in nature, but they\u2019re a space Black women are more than capable of occupying \u2014 Palmer and SZA\u2019s performances are proof. Contrary to what Hollywood reflects, comedy exists in Black womanhood, from the privacy of our group chats and sleepover wind-downs to our social media timelines. We thrive and, at times, survive on humor to get us through our biggest hardships, and we lean on each other when we need support most. Yet, that\u2019s hardly mirrored in mainstream entertainment, much less the buddy comedy canon.<\/p>\n There\u2019s still time to correct that, though.<\/p>\n Sony Pictures\/ Anne Marie Fox<\/p>\n It\u2019s too early to tell if \u201cOne Of Them Days\u201d will make more headway than its precursors and give Black women buddy comedies staying power in film. However, its early success is making a strong case for its potential.<\/p>\n In the days leading up to its premiere, \u201cOne Of Them Days\u201d earned glowing reviews<\/a> and a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes<\/a>, a pleasant surprise for the first major comedy release of the year. Its meme-worthy dialogue and scenes made the rounds on social media after it hit theaters in January, which, hopefully, won\u2019t be forgotten after this year.<\/p>\n With enough support, the next great \u201cOne Of Them Days\u201d blockbuster may not have to wait another decade to arrive. The film itself has the potential to jumpstart a new era of comedic storytelling for Black women. It already has a sequel on the way<\/a>, with Palmer and SZA returning.<\/p>\n![\""One](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/678972f21a00001500229ebf.jpg\")
“One Of Them Days,” co-produced by Issa Rae, marks the first buddy comedy led by two Black women in nearly 30 years.<\/p>\n![\"SZA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/678973231900001b00b2cfdc.jpg\")
SZA and Palmer star as Alyssa and Dreux in a scene from “One Of Them Days.”<\/p>\n