Do you like the movie Friday? Did you ever wonder what Friday would be like if it centered around two female leads? If your answer is yes, you can probably stop reading this and just go watch One of Them Days starring Keke Palmer and Sza.
I honestly had not even heard of this movie until I started checking lists of the top movies of 2025. as soon as I read the description "When best friends and roommates Dreux and Alyssa discover Alyssa's boyfriend has blown their rent money, the duo finds themselves going to extremes in a race against the clock to avoid eviction and keep their friendship intact." I immediately said to my wife, "Holy shit, this is just Friday but with women!" I LOVE the movie Friday and my wife likes it quite a bit so of course we were in.
We were not disappointed. I'm not saying One of Them Days is as good as Friday, but it comes pretty close. For the uninitiated Friday, which came out in 1995, stars Ice Cube and Christ Tucker as two friends just trying to get through a day in their neighborhood in South Central L.A. They duo interact with a ton of colorful neighbors and much hi-jinx ensues. I still quote this movie on a daily basis and watch it a couple of times a year.
Just One of Them Days is about two friends just trying to get through their day in apartment complex near South Central L.A. They also meet some very colorful neighbors and hi-jinx ensues. And that is all there is to it. Unlike Friday, writer Syreeta Singleton actually gave the pair a goal to chase. Dreux and Alyssa need to get enough money to pay their rent. They only have until 9:00 P.M. to get it. When you have interesting characters and funny dialogue, that is about as much story as you need. That is what this movie is. It is simply a vehicle for Palmer and Sza to be charming and funny while guest stars pop in to be hilarious.
My two favorite guest stars were Kat Williams playing Lucky, a wise old neighborhood sage who just really wants to save people from payday loan scams and Janelle James as a lab technician having a very bad first day at a blood donation center. If you don't knwo who Janelle James is, do yourself a favor and check out Abbott Elementary. And I almost forgot Keyla Monterroso Mejia popping in as a hilarious payday loan associate.
Actually I may be oversimplifying things a little too much. On the surface, this is a funny buddy movie. But there are some deeper stories... just like in Friday. While Friday is a lesson about not giving in to fatal violence and guns, One of Them Days is about chasing your dreams and the importance of art. It celebrates that hard work comes in many forms. Most importantly, both are a celebration of friendship and the importance of having a "ride or die" in your life. Oh and one more lesson: NEVER USE A PAYDAY LOAN! "If you don't have the money this month, you're not going to have it next month!"
At just over 90 minutes long, this movie is a perfect palate cleanser after you have watched something very serious. My wife and I actually used this movie to wake ourselves up after finishing Sandman.