Moviefone Editorial

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  • A ‘One of Them Days’ Sequel is in the Works

    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.
    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.

    Preview:

    • TriStar Pictures is planning a ‘One of Them Days’ sequel.
    • Stars Keke Palmer and SZA are expected to return.
    • We don’t know what the story will be yet.

    Looks like Keke Palmer and SZA are going to have another one of them days.

    TriStar Pictures, which saw a big win with comedy movie ‘One of Them Days’ back in January, is looking to reunite the team behind and in front of the camera for a sequel.

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    Variety reports that the company is in the early stages of putting the pieces together for a follow-up, which would bring the actors back for a new story.

    Also potentially returning is director Lawrence Lamont, who made his debut with the movie, alongside writer Syreeta Singleton, while Issa Rae will produce via her Hoorae Media.

    Related Article: ‘One of Them Days’ is an Entertaining Tale of Friends Who Must Scramble to Find the Rent

    What was the story for ‘One of Them Days’?

    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

    The movie follows best friends and roommates Dreux (Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) as they race against the clock to avoid eviction when they discover Alyssa’s boyfriend has blown their rent money on the same day Dreux has an important interview for her dream gig.

    The movie, set in South Los Angeles which, comparisons to classic comedies such as ‘Friday,’ also stars Lil Rel Howery, Janelle James, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Maude Apatow, Katt Williams, Joshua Neal, Aziza Scott, Patrick Cage, Dewayne Perkins, Amin Joseph, Gabrielle Dennis and DomiNque Perry.

    It was a breakout hit at the box office, grossing more than $50 million worldwide after its January release — a particularly strong number for an R-rated, mid-budget comedy. The critically acclaimed film (including a stellar 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) was also a standout on Netflix, where it spent three weeks on the streamer’s top 10 list.

    (L to R) Lawrence Lamont, SZA and Keke Palmer on the set of Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) Lawrence Lamont, SZA and Keke Palmer on the set of Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

    The project was born from the CoCre lab at Sony Pictures, where Singleton’s script (originally titled ‘The Jungles’ after the neighborhood where it’s set) spent nearly seven years in development before launching in theaters.

    Here’s TriStar Pictures president Nicole Brown talking about the program:

    “This program is, while modern, in terms of championing diverse voices, it’s old-fashioned in the way of believing in writers, believing in talent, investing in talented people, and saying, ‘Let’s keep building this relationship.’ When we’re patient and invest in talent, then great work can come. But we have to give them the time to build, and we’ve got to give them the support. I hope it will inspire more studios to invest in great voices and give them the time to build great things.”

    And this is what Singleton said about the script before the original was released:

    “Prior to that, I had just been writing spec scripts, so I didn’t have any expectations. I felt very seen, understood, comfortable and excited. Like my stories were in good hands with people who genuinely cared about what it was I was trying to do.”

    What will the ‘One of Them Days’ sequel be about?

    (L to R) Director Lawrence Lamont, Producer Issa Rae and Keke Palmer on the set of Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) Director Lawrence Lamont, Producer Issa Rae and Keke Palmer on the set of Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

    Given that none of the deals are officially in place yet, it’s too early to even guess what Dreux and Alyssa might have to deal with in the sequel.

    But that’s not going to stop us! There’s every chance we’ll see them once more on a mission to figure out their lives –– especially SZA’s Alyssa.

    With luck, it’ll feature a similar extended ensemble and Keyla Monterroso Mejia (who played offbeat loan company employee Kathy), will get more to do –– she was a breakout star of the original.

    Where else will we see Keke Palmer and SZA?

    (L to R) SZA and Keke Palmer in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) SZA and Keke Palmer in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

    Palmer has a few projects on the way, including heist movie ‘The Pickup’, in which she stars opposite Eddie Murphy. It’s the story of a routine cash pickup turning into a deadly pursuit when two mismatched armored truck drivers are ambushed by ruthless criminals with plans beyond the cash.

    The movie will debut on Prime Video on August 6th.

    Beyond that, there is Aziz Ansari’s comedy ‘Good Fortune,’ hitting theaters on October 17th, ‘The Angry Birds Movie 3’ and Boots Riley’s new movie, ‘I Love Boosters.’

    SZA, meanwhile, makes an appearance in documentary series ‘Another West Side Story’, but a release date for that has yet to be announced.

    She’s also attached to Eddie Huang’s new project ‘Tuna Melt,’ though that is still in development.

    When will the ‘One of Them Days’ sequel be in theaters?

    TriStar will be waiting to see how this one comes together before setting a release date.

    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

    Keke Palmer Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Keke Palmer Movies and TV On Amazon

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  • Movie Review: ‘One of Them Days’

    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

    Opening in theaters on January 17th, ‘One of Them Days’ features two knockout performances from Keke Palmer and in an impressive film lead debut, SZA. Yet the movie around them is sadly not always worthy of their commitment.

    Full of weird, pantomime performances, the ramshackle plot is perfectly serviceable as a ticking-clock quest-meets-hangout comedy, but not much more than that.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Nope’

    Will ‘One of Them Days’ Rent Space in Your Head?

    (L to R) SZA and Keke Palmer in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.
    (L to R) SZA and Keke Palmer in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.

    Sometimes dipping into annoying cliches in search of relatable nuggets of life experience, ‘One of Them Days’ struggles to completely balance its tone, preferring to dive further and further into farce as the situation deepens. And while we use the word “deepens,” that doesn’t really describe what actually happens here –– it just ratchets up the madness in the hopes of making you laugh.

    How much you do actually find yourself chuckling might depend on your tolerance for actors shouting in lieu of a performance –– which we suppose comes with the territory when there is only limited time to spend with the supporting ensemble and everyone beyond Palmer and SZA are just trying to make an exception.

    Script and Direction

    (L to R) Director Lawrence Lamont, Producer Issa Rae and Keke Palmer on the set of Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) Director Lawrence Lamont, Producer Issa Rae and Keke Palmer on the set of Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

    Syreeta Singleton, a veteran of Issa Rae’s TV shows including ‘Insecure’ and ‘Rap Sh!t’ (Rae is a producer here), Singleton’s script largely does justice to the two main characters, while many of the others feel like they’ve wandered in from a sketch. Indeed, the whole structure of the story feels episodic, or like that of a video game, with Palmer and SZA going through different levels of difficulty to achieve their aims.

    The screenplay does at least also offer the leading pair a cheery, challenged friendship that feels authentic even if the events around them are cartoonish. Palmer’s Dreux is an ambitious young woman who dreams of running her own restaurant franchise, while SZA’s Alyssa is a flightier artist struggling to make ends meet and obsessed with boyfriend Keshawn (Joshua Neal), who is particularly blessed in one department (hint: it’s not brains). You empathize with their struggle and they’re charming enough as a duo to keep the story moving.

    Director Lawrence Lamont on the set of Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures and Anne Marie Fox.
    Director Lawrence Lamont on the set of Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures and Anne Marie Fox.

    Director Lawrence Lamont has his own Rae connection thanks to ‘Rap Sh!t,’ but is better known as a music video helmer for the likes of Big Sean and J.Cole.

    His visual style here is unfussy, helping to move the story along, but he doesn’t quite make everything about the movie work. The performances are, as we mentioned above, a mixed bag.

    ‘One of Them Days’: Performances

    This is most certainly Keke Palmer and SZA’s movie, with one or two other notable turns.

    Keke Palmer as Dreux

    Palmer has consistently proved she’s someone who can have chemistry with a wall if needed, her natural charm shining through the role and her comic timing on full display here.

    She’s an able physical comedian, but more importantly, can keep the character intact as all around her becomes abject chaos.

    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.
    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.

    SZA as Alyssa

    SZA, more normally found as a successful recording artist (the vast majority of her film credits so far have been on soundtracks), is the big surprise here, making a truly impressive debut, bringing spirited life to Alyssa and meshing well with Palmer.

    She’s believably goofy while also coming across as more than a human cartoon.

    Lil Rel Howery as The Buyer

    Howery is a reliable comedy performer, though here he has limited opportunity to show what he can do, showing up for one scene (albeit a memorable one).

    Keyla Monterroso Mejia as Kathy

    The payday loan company worker who handles Dreux and Alyssa’s application for money makes a real impact with her freewheeling, sarcastic turn, one of the few characters who is both manic but also truly entertaining.

    Katt Williams as Lucky

    Williams plays the seemingly homeless, debt-ridden type who tries to warn our main characters to stay well away from the Payday loan business. It’s a small supporting role, but Williams has fun with it.

    Maude Apatow in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.
    Maude Apatow in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.

    Maude Apatow as Bethany

    Apatow’s character is essentially a plot device and a one-note joke; the naive white woman who moves into Dreux and Alyssa’s apartment building in LA’s Baldwin Hills area and who ultimately helps them in their quest for cash.

    Joshua Neal as Keshawn

    Neal’s Keshawn, a wannabe entrepreneur with little idea how to make money (but plenty of ways to spend it) is a gun little role that compliments Palmer and SZA’s characters even if he comes across more a caricature than an actual person.

    Final Thoughts

    (L to R) SZA and Keke Palmer in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) SZA and Keke Palmer in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

    ‘One of Them Days’ never quite approaches the standards of classic comedies such as the ‘Friday’ movies, but it’s amiable enough to keep the laughs flowing, anchored by two solid lead performances.

    Fans of Issa Rae’s TV work will be satisfied enough, even if nothing here has the room to develop the way a series’ storylines can. Just don’t expect more than silly comedy here.

    ‘One of Them Days’ receives 6 out of 10 stars.

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    What’s the plot of ‘One of Them Days’?

    When best friends and roommates Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) discover Alyssa’s boyfriend (Joshua Neal) 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.

    Who is in the cast of ‘One of Them Days’?

    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

    Keke Palmer Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Keke Palmer Movies on Amazon

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