Keke Palmer and SZA Are So, So Funny in ‘One of Them Days’

“Why did I get up today?” It’s a question we’ve all asked from time to time. (As have, with some verbal variants, Bob Hope in My Favorite Brunette, Goldie Hawn in Seems Like Old Times, and Brian O’Halloran in Clerks.) Add to the list one of current Hollywood’s most nimble leading ladies, Keke Palmer, and, busting out with explosive cinematic charisma, SZA, in her first film role in One of Them Days, which hits theaters Jan. 17.

As Dreux and Alyssa, two down-on-their-luck Angelinos with a never-say-die spirit, the two women face a series of increasingly zany obstacles during an unusually cursed day. I am happy to report that their ingenuity and friendship see them through to a happy ending that, to my great surprise, actually had me a little choked up when the credits rolled. If I ran Sony Pictures, the studio behind this breezy and agreeable comedy directed by Lawrence Lamont (Rap Sh!t), I’d contract the pair to pump out mid-budget buddy comedies from now until the end of time.

The premise is simple: Alyssa’s schnorrer boyfriend Keshawn (a very funny Joshua David Neal) has absconded with the pair’s rent money. They have a ticking clock to find $1500 or else they get tossed to the curb. (Indeed, their building’s landlord is eager to gentrify the place; the first clueless white girl, played by an amusing Maude Apatow, and her rescue dog have just moved in.) The search for quick cash leads our desperate duo to a predatory lending operation—with Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Keyla Monterroso Mejia getting a moment to stop the show with her inimitable line delivery—then a blood bank, an adventure at a chicken restaurant, a trade with an emotional sneakerhead (Lil Rel Howery), and finally a showdown with the fearsome local gang leader. Katt Williams pops up from time to time as a one-man Greek chorus, offering unheeded wisdom.

In addition to the episodic shenanigans, there’s a Wile E. Coyote chasing our twin Road Runners in the form of relative newcomer Aziza Scott. She plays a vengeance-driven force of nature known in the community as Big Booty Berenice, a shapely, siren-like figure who deploys the might of her bounteous posterior like Indiana Jones uses his whip. Syreeta Singleton’s script also includes an “approaching danger” moment in which a wig blows across the ground—”tumbleweave.” Too many comedies are afraid to roll the dice and be dumb, and that’s why One of Them Days is a winner.

Adding complexity to the financial scavenger hunt, Dreux also must prepare for a make-or-break scheduled job interview. Even though this is a light and silly movie, Palmer is so sympathetic as a performer that when she finally makes it to the conference room (covering up her inappropriate clothing thanks to the hijinks of the day) I found myself at the edge of my seat, rooting for her like it was the end of a Rocky picture. There’s a lot of pixie dust elevating this movie, and it stems predominantly from the performers.

The spine of the thing, of course, is the BFF-ness of our two leads. While Dreux is ostensibly the straight one, with arty Alyssa’s chaotic attitude causing no shortage of problems, the dynamic allows them both to show off their comedy chops.(Dreux’s tongue-tied encounters with her hunky neighbor being some of the best examples).

Palmer may have more contours to her performance, but SZA does more than merely “keep up.” Using her physicality like a young Bette Midler or Madeline Kahn, she is a natural-born comic, dominating the frame and demanding attention. A lot of stars from the pop-music world appear in films and they are fine. That’s not the case with SZA. With One of Them Days, she has declared, “I have two careers now.” It’s not yet evident if she can handle heavy drama (I wouldn’t be surprised), but her comedy chops are preternatural and I hope she finds time to continue down this road in addition to, you know, having a wildly successful career as a recording artist.

Now, with all that praise out of the way, I must add that not every chapter in this antic movie works equally well. There are dull patches here and there, and not every joke lands. When was the last time you watched a Cheech & Chong movie? There are highs and lows. One of Them Days is the same way. But it’s still a welcome throwback, the type of movie you see with friends and then go to the diner after because you’re already having such a good time.