Their rent is paid with laughs and attitude.
Without using the words “superhero” or “blockbuster,” I’ve been distinguishing artisan comedies from commercial comedies. “A Real Pain” and “Anora” have both delivered the sincerity and realism, while “Unfrosted” relied on cow farts and dumpster diving, while “Jackpot” relied on hostility and violence, while “Dear Santa” relied on toilet humor and misunderstandings, and while “Our Little Secret” relied on THC gummies, all of them for comedic effect. And I recall an interview in which Elizabeth Banks was going to focus more on serious roles due to comedies being in short supply.
Here, we now have the commercial comedy “One of Them Days,” which actually has laughs, which has sincerity, and which actually has comedy stars knowing the stakes. That’s saying a lot, considering the cynicism aimed against movies nowadays. Consider the chemistry between Keke Palmer and SZA; how their character have one day to pay their rent, how they have their own ambitions, and how society would overlook their talents, or maybe its them overlooking themselves.
Palmer is Dreux (pronounced “Drew” for a clarification in the film), whose waitress skills is poised to earn her a bigger job opportunity. And SZA in her film debut is Alyssa, who believes more into the spirit of the universe then her own paintings and taste in men. They both live in a shabby apartment with broken ceilings and a sleazy owner (Rizi Timane), and the rare moment the neighbors would come together is when the complex’s first white resident Bethany (Maude Apatow) moves in.
While that sleaze ball should be sued, he threatens Druex and Alyssa with a 6PM eviction notice, because Alyssa’s boyfriend Keshawn (Joshua Neal) invests their rent money on a line of shirts. And he’s also in a toxic affair with the hostile Berniece (Azizia Scott), who causes problems for the girls. I’m surprised this girl wasn’t one of the murderers in “Jackpot.”
So, now the girls must come up with ways to pay their rent, as long as Druex makes it to her job interview without a scratch on herself.
The story goes a little over the top with some criminals making their way into the girl’s turmoil, but there’s a lot of laughs and attitude in the mix. “One of Them Days” is one of those comedies where you can tell that some plans are bound to fail at first, but the characters are able to thrive. We’re probably going to keep seeing that formula again, as long as they’re handled with liveliness and energy. And Palmer and SZA both have them, thanks to music video director Lawrence Lamont and “Insecure” writer Syreeta Singleton.
You also get some funny cameos from the likes of Katt Williams as a homeless man named Lucky who warns people about loan offices, and Lil Rel Howery in the process of buying an expensive pair of shoes the girls find. And I like the way the film uses Apatow without making her succumb to the stereotype of white people trying to make themselves hip in front of African-American characters. Yes, I did mention that the apartment residents come together to see her with expressions, but you don’t have to tell them: “You’ve been watching “Get Out” too much.”
I’m finishing “One of Them Days” with no headache or embarrassment; just my intent to get home, beat the traffic, and write this positive review on my laptop.