Issa Rae and Lawrence Lamont, makers of ‘One of Them Days,’ say new film fills a need for Black female buddy comedies
Jan 15, 2025
It’s the collab you didn’t know you needed. Keke Palmer and R&B singer SZA have teamed up for a new comedy.
“One of Them Days” follows two best friends on a wild ride to avoid sleeping on the streets — and things go off the rails pretty fast.
Deco chatted with Issa Rae, one of the producers behind the film, to find out what all the fun’s about.
SZA (as Alyssa): “I’m sorry, I had to get a jump from Shameka, and they had a checkpoint on La Brea, I had to go all the way around.”
It’s just “One of Them Days,” literally, for Keke Palmer and SZA in their new comedy that’s hilarious and chaotic.
Keke Palmer (as Dreux): “Your boyfriend took our rent money and dipped.”
Joshua David Neal (as Keshawn): “I invested it. This is our future.”
The film follows Alyssa and Dreux, two best friends and roommates, who scramble to avoid eviction after Alyssa’s boyfriend runs off with their rent money.
Keke Palmer (as Dreux): “If we don’t get the rent money by 6, we are going to be on the curb with Fabian.”
Ray Santiago (as Fabian): “You want to buy my grandma’s vintage speaker?”
Keke Palmer (as Dreux): “Didn’t your grandma just die? She ain’t even in the ground yet.”
Actress and writer Issa Rae is at the helm of the comedy. She says there was a real need for this movie.
Issa Rae: “We haven’t seen Black female buddy comedies since ‘B*A*P*S’ and even ‘Girls Trip,’ but buddy comedy specifically, where it’s a duo. We just wanted create something fun and silly that you could relate to and that you could go to the theater with your friends and laugh out loud to.”
Issa teamed up with her frequent collaborator and friend, director Lawrence Lamont, to bring this vision to life — which he says wasn’t difficult because of Keke’s and SZA’s undeniable chemistry.
Lawrence Lamont: “Their personal personas are really similar to the characters they play, so they were able to bring how they are in real life and elevate Dreux and Alyssa more than I could have imagined.”
And so, just how are they, you know, in real life?
Issa Rae: “They were just in constant jokes, they were always laughing.”
Lawrence Lamont: “Yeah, when the cameras cut, they were literally – not in character but kind of. We literally could have kept rolling on them.”
Blood bank employee: “We actually can pay you $70 per pint.”
Keke Palmer (as Dreux): “OK.”
Keke Palmer (as Dreux, to Ruby) “Take it easy on me, ’cause needles make me squeamish.”
Janelle James (as Ruby): “Join the club, girl. Today’s my first day.”
Keke Palmer (as Dreux): “Ow!”
SZA (as Alyssa): “Do we still get the money?”
Keke Palmer (as Dreux): “Owww…”
“One of Them Days” opens in theaters on Friday.