The Filmscape Reverie

By: Maria Cieslarczyk

Sometimes, to feel better about one of your bad days… you need to see just how bad it can actually get! One of Them Days (2025), starring comedic-gold icon KeKe Palmer and international superstar SZA, does just that…in the best way possible.

If you’re having just one of those days (you know, where nothing seems to be going right), I highly recommend watching this Hollywood hit with your friends. Me and my besties were cracking up watching this last Sunday night (available in theaters or to rent on AppleTV).

Rated 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, One of Them Days is a comedy about two best friends and roommates, Dreux (played by KeKe Palmer) and Alyssa (played by SZA). After Alyssa’s terrible boyfriend blows their rent money, the two best friends must hatch a daring, desperate plan to gather the money before they get evicted later that night.

Along the way, they must find the resilience to rely on each other while also believing in themselves. With laugh-out-loud sequences and wild plot twists, the duo must also race against the clock to make sure Dreux kills her dream job interview…and to avoid getting literally killed by a scheming gang lord.

Not only is it hilarious and thought-provoking, the film is also the first Black-led comedy film since Girls Trip (2017) and the first Black female duo film since B.A.P.S (1997).

According to an interview with Variety, the filmmakers shared that the project underwent a seven-year development process and was only filmed in 20 days. Racial disparity is still an enormous issue in the media and entertainment industry, as Black filmmakers receive 40% less financial support compared to movies by non-Black filmmakers (2021 McKinsey study).

As an Asian-American woman in the industry, I found this film to be one that made my whole mood brighten. I hope with its success, it can inspire more people to support BIPOC filmmakers and continue to open the door for diverse, inclusive stories like this.

Throughout the movie, I absolutely appreciated the WOMEN EMPOWERMENT theme. Time and time again, it portrayed how women can handle the big bad beasts all on our own! Making rent, getting bills paid, doing daunting job interviews and choosing self-respect over a lame boyfriend…these are not new concepts that women have had to navigate. It was refreshing getting to see it on-screen, especially in a comedic light!

I also found it relatable how the theme of finances can be an obstacle, especially for BIPOC folx. Apart from the duo going to extremes to make their rent money in a single day, the theme of money is explored creatively in other ways. There is a scene where Dreux’s character attends a job interview that could very much change her and Alyssa’s lives forever. As a first-gen AAPI woman, I’ve had this exact same experience when I landed my Disney TV and Film internship, which led to my career in the industry now. It is both a humbling and gratifying experience that I am blessed to have had…so let’s just say that I was def emotional when watching that scene!

The theme of community is also well-done in this film. The idea of people you care about rallying together to help you out of a pickle is heart-warming. Seeing that sense of joy and kindness was inspirational…more people need that kind of thing, especially in today’s chaotic world.

So, if you’re like me and just had one of those nasty days too…check out One of Them Days and watch your mood instantly brighten up.