“One of Them Days” (2025) is a buddy comedy-drama that follows two women on the brink of eviction from their apartment. It arrived online shortly after SZA’s performance at the Super Bowl LIX. She makes her feature film debut with this project and stars alongside Keke Palmer. They play two best friends who must find their rent money in a couple of hours or they will be thrown out of their apartment. Issa Rae serves as one of the producers in this film, which is written by Syreeta Singleton, who has previously worked on shows like “Insecure” and “Central Park.” Lawrence Lamont, who directed this film, has previously collaborated with Singleton on Rap Sh!t.
Spoilers Ahead
One of Them Days (2025) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
“One of Them Days” stars Keke Palmer & SZA as Dreux and Alyssa, two best friends who are at risk of being evicted from their apartment if they do not pay off their rent by the end of the day.
What happens in ‘One of Them Days’?
“One of Them Days” revolves around Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA), two best friends who live in the same apartment, with Alyssa’s ungrateful partner, Keshawn (Joshua David Neal). Dreux works at a local diner and seeks a managerial position based on her long working experience. Alyssa motivates Dreux to pursue this position and not to doubt her skills or achievements. However, unlike Dreux, Alyssa doesn’t have any clear prospects. She is a visual artist, who hasn’t made a big career out of it. One day, she and Dreux find themselves in trouble as they realize they are behind in rent.
Dreux finds it surprising since she handed over her share to Alyssa to pay the landlord. Only then does Alyssa reveal she gave the money to Keshawn. By the time they could confront him, he leaves without a trace. Dreux and Alyssa track him and find Berniece (Aziza Scott), a strong-willed woman with whom he has been cheating. Alyssa tries to get back her money. Keshawn reveals that he spent it on his T-shirt business. As it happens, Berniece realizes why Alyssa and Dreux have shown up at her doorstep. She chases them as they run for their lives but bumps into a car window.
How do Dreux and Alyssa plan to get their rent money?
After outrunning Berniece, Dreux, and Alyssa enter a loan bank, but their application gets rejected due to their low credit score. So, they enter a blood bank where Dreux gets her blood drawn by inexperienced Ruby (Janelle James). Dreux decides to draw more blood to get more money. Alyssa tries to stop her, which makes the situation worse. The blood spreads everywhere leaving them with no money. All they receive is a food coupon. They walk up to a nearby drive-in to get the food, but a thief snatches it from them. Maniac (Patrick Cage), who happens to be there, offers them some food. Alyssa knows that Dreux likes Maniac. So, she leaves them alone for a plan to get the money.
Soon, Alyssa calls Dreux to help her as she climbs on an electric pole to remove the Air Jordans stuck on the wire. In the process, Alyssa gets electrocuted and so does Dreux. An ambulance drives them to the hospital without their consent. So, they run away the moment they wake up and put an online ad for the shoes. They find a buyer (Lil Rel Howery), who offers them the amount to pay their rent. Before paying it back, Dreux appears for her interview for a promotion.
Interviewer Shayla (Gabrielle Dennis) appreciates Dreux’s candor and reveals that she also came from humble beginnings. Dreux seems like a lock for the promotional position until she doesn’t. Around then, Berniece tracks Alyssa to her location and gets in a fight with her. So, Alyssa seeks Dreux’s help. While hesitant at first, Dreux runs out for help but gets beaten up. Shayla sees that and reconsiders Dreux’s application.
One of Them Days (2025) Movie Ending Explained:
Dreux loses her job offer after the interviewers see her getting in a fight. So, she gets mad at Alyssa for putting her in this situation by contacting Keshawn. Dreux calls out Alyssa for having no plans. Alyssa gets upset since she has been supporting Dreux through thick and thin. They reluctantly return home to find all their stuff thrown out. The landlord offers them a few more hours to get their apartment back. As if that’s not enough, they find themselves in another trouble as King Lolo (Amin Joseph), who owned the Air Jordans, asks them to pay him for it.
As they think of their next course of action, Bethany (Maude Apatow), their white neighbor who recently moved into their apartment complex, admires Alyssa’s paintings and buys one of them. So, Dreux plans to sell Alyssa’s paintings to Bethany’s rich friends. That evening, she hosts a sale and makes money out of it. King Lolo shows up and threatens Dreux and Alyssa to pay him for the shoes. Alyssa thinks of a plan and distracts him. Soon, the cops show up there to arrest King Lolo. It gives Dreux and Alyssa a chance to run back to their apartment.
Do Dreux and Alyssa pay off their rent?
As Dreux and Alyssa return to their apartment, Keshawn surprises Alyssa with a candle-lit ambiance. He apologizes and expects her to forgive him. Soon, King Lolo shows up there after running away from the fake cops. Suddenly, a piece of the ceiling falls over him. He trips over the candles and sets the apartment on fire. The fire department shows and rescues them. Just then, the loan company arrives there to arrest King Lolo, who was one of their worst offenders. It happened because Alyssa tipped them off.
Dreux admires Alyssa’s elaborate plan to get them out of trouble. During the yard sale, Shayla shows up and appreciates Dreux’s skills in putting on a show last minute. So, she reconsiders her stance on Druex. After the dust settles, Dreux becomes the franchise manager as she deserves to. Alyssa becomes a successful painter. They get their apartment renovated by the landlord, the way Bethany received it since she moved into their neighborhood.
One of Them Days (2025) Movie Review:
“One of Them Days” is not a social-commentary-driven film, but it still finds spots to highlight so many things from gentrification to imposter syndrome, and from financial incapacity to financial independence. The script introduces a wide variety of intriguing characters that offer different sides of the equation. Katt Williams’ Lucky remains a woefully unlucky man as he falls victim to the loan bank’s offers. Keke Palmer’s Dreux decides to sell more of her blood to earn more money without thinking enough about its implications on her body.
Joshua David Nea’s Keshawn uses his girlfriend’s rent money to fund his pipe dream. Dreux and SZA’s Alyssa run away from an ambulance because it would cost too much in their country. While they all face a dire need for money, Maude Apatow’s Bethany and her peers spend without any thought of repercussions. The script effectively uses contrasts in their socio-economic situations to depict opportunism and financial literacy. What strikes a chord is how compassionate it is for people who are at the worst end of it.
It doesn’t ridicule Alyssa’s lack of initiative to sell her stuff but reveals the underlying emotional root. The same is the case with Dreux, who undermines herself, likely due to her conditioning. Despite their financial troubles, the film celebrates them for their unabashedly cheerful side and becomes an uplifting dramedy without any preachiness. Keke Palmer’s sparkling presence coupled with her impeccable chemistry with SZA turns this dramedy about two people making their ends meet into a thoroughly buoyant affair.
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