One of these days is the kind of comedy that Hollywood made regularly. The film keeps the premise simple and trusts the characters to react in funny ways. Although this is rarer in the current IP landscape, One of these days proves that you shouldn’t overthink comedy.
Dreux (Keke Palmer) works nights at Norm’s restaurant and tries to get a promotion to franchise manager. Her roommate, Alyssa (SZA), is an artist with no income. When Alyssa’s boyfriend, Keshawn (Joshua David Neal), steals their rent money for his own harebrained scheme, their landlord, Uche (Rizi Timane), threatens to evict them if they don’t have $1,500 before 6 p.m.
This premise is not a high-level sensation. Rather, it’s the simple premise that has fueled many of the great comedies. They need X amount of money at X times. Happy Gilmore played golf to raise enough money. Tommy Boy sold brake pads. Deuce Bigelow, for better or worse, became a prostitute. Comedy is part of Dreux and Alyssa’s plans to make some quick money, and Syreeta Singleton’s screenplay invents many memorable shenanigans.
They start by looking for Keshawn. He cheats on Alyssa with Berniece (Aziza Scott), who becomes an enemy throughout the day. Now Berniece is following them, on top of their initial problem. The women try sketchy cash advance loans, then donate blood, which turns into a messy set piece, executed with as much in-your-face fluidity as disgusting classics like There’s something about Mary or the sketch of Mr. Creosote from Monty Python.
Physical comedy is the strongest element of One of these days. Not only do Dreux and Alyssa continue to take ever more dangerous risks, but even their basic reactions to situations enhance the humor. Dreux dances in the street to motivate himself and Palmer joins in. She feeds Alyssa the chicken and SZA gets all the comedy she can out of biting the chicken fingers. Scott also dabbles in physical comedy by racing Tom Cruise while she chases after him.
The film’s verbal comedy relies on a familiarity between the characters. The opening scenes establish a neighborhood filled with characters who know each other. So when a secondary character behaves badly, Dreux or Alyssa can scold them, but not too viciously. The characters never feel like villains. One of these days also recalls Friday like a day in the life of a neighborhood where wacky things happen between wacky characters.
Angelenos will recognize the geography of One of these daysbecause he cites specific streets and monuments. Norm’s and Church’s Chicken are true local spots, and La Brea, Hillcrest and Crenshaw streets are name-checked. The rest of the world may not know or care, but the specificity makes a day’s mishap authentic.
A specific neighborhood is home to specific residents so that every encounter between Dreux and Alyssa, even briefly, is memorable. The drive-thru clerk (Tony Baker) at Church’s has an attitude of meddling in his customers’ business, but that doesn’t stop him. A homeless man named Lucky (Katt Williams) warns the roommates about the cash advance location and periodically shows up to support them.
Director Lawrence Lamont guides the comedy through this neighborhood with impeccable timing, particularly in a recurring driving gag. The film introduces all of Uche’s neighbors and building issues which will pay dividends later in the film. Another nice touch is a timestamp that periodically appears on screen to indicate how much time Dreux and Alyssa have left, increasing the intensity as they become more desperate.
One of these days carefully chooses moments of sincerity but manages to navigate these shifts in tone. When Dreux interviews for the manager position, she sincerely wants an opportunity, not just a raise, and she has some good ideas. The obligatory scene where Dreux and Alyssa vent all of their frustrations with each other makes legitimate points on both sides. It’s deserved, but the scene is also only there to take their friendship to the next stage.
One of these days is an affable adventure that breeds joy upon first viewing, but it feels like the kind of film that will benefit most from repetition. After repeated viewings on cable television, streaming, or any other surviving home format, fans might begin to memorize and quote lines. Palmer and SZA’s physicality, however, is inimitable and makes them an endearing comedic duo.
Title: One of these days
Distributer: Sony Pictures release
Release date: January 17, 2025
Director: Laurent Lamont
Screenwriter: Syreeta Singleton
Cast: Keke Palmer, SZA, Joshua David Neal, Rizi Timane, Aziza Scott, Tony Baker, Katt Williams
Rating: A.
Execution time: 1h 37m
