January is famously a rough month for movies. While Oscar hopefuls move out of limited release, studios dump their—to put it kindly—rougher offerings onto a screen near you. But, if anyone could breathe some life into the January doldrums, it would be Keke Palmer and SZA.
The duo comes together in the buddy comedy One of Them Days, a story about two roommates, Dreux (Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA), who find themselves in a race against the clock to avoid eviction after Alyssa’s boyfriend spends their rent money. Their ordeal takes them all over the city, bouncing from scheme to scheme.
I’ve long maintained that Palmer is one of our brightest stars and that title remains perfectly intact and on display here. She radiates so much charm and energy that you can’t help but be entertained, even in the film’s slower moments. She sells every single joke while creating additional comedy out of what would be throw-away lines in someone else’s hands. My crowd was eating out of the palm of her hand.
In addition to flashing her comedic chops, Palmer brings a lot of depth to Dreux. She falls into the type-A friend trope, but never feels passive or like she’s only there to set up a joke. She is allowed to be funny but we also feel her desperation for some semblance of stability. She has no time for the nonsense of the wackier characters around her (which allows room for Palmer to shine comedically rather than act as a straight man) but, when she feels safe with Alyssa, her silliness spills to the surface.
Alyssa is the hippie foil to Dreux’s type-A personality, repeatedly throwing her trust into the universe. There are moments when the hippie shtick falls a little flat and, unlike Dreux, Alyssa lacks a bit of depth. We know she is a struggling artist who lacks confidence in her work and is dating one of the biggest loser boyfriends ever put to screen (Joshua David Neal). The script doesn’t feel interested in exploring this deeper and leaves SZA with a bit less to work with.
However, she demonstrates a lot of promise in her acting debut. You can feel her finding her footing in this realm. There are moments when she struggles to add a bit of depth to Alyssa, but SZA possesses the timing and fearlessness to be successful in the comedy realm. It was thrilling to watch her really go for it in those more physically driven comedic moments without a hint of ego or vanity.
It’s when SZA can play off Palmer and the two are unleashed that she really comes alive as an actress. They create a dynamic that feels lived in, riddled with small detailed moments that could only happen between two people who’ve known each other for years.
Syreeta Singleton’s screenplay falls into typical generic tropes and a lot of the characters don’t ever subvert or overcome the familiarity. However, what the characters lack in depth, they make up for with vivid personalities built upon Singleton’s clever comedy.
Director Lawrence Lamont (in his directorial feature debut) does a great job capturing the energy of Los Angeles and makes the city feel like a dynamic character all its own. Combined with the aforementioned characters, this environment feels vibrant and alive.
One of Them Days certainly doesn’t reinvent the genre; in fact it leans heavily on established formats and tropes of buddy comedies. However, its blend of whip-smart wit, slapstick, and a dynamic ensemble mold this into a small glimmer in the sea of January slop.
Review Courtesy of Adam Patla
Image Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing via Deadline