‘One of Them Days’ brings back laughs like the ’90s

For what feels like eons, finally, there’s a mainstream movie that actually works, and, quite rarely, it’s on Netflix.

Recently dropped on the streamer is the black comedy One of Them Days (2025), a theatrical release in the US last January. It became one of the highest-grossing comedies in recent years and holds a 94 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. With both critical and commercial success, a sequel is already in development.

I haven’t laughed this much at a commercial comedy since the rise of the social media era. At a time when we distract ourselves with short reels that shrink our attention spans to that of a goldfish, this Black-centric comedy keeps you hooked from start to finish. Once it begins, you stay in until the end credits roll.

One of Them Days delivers the much-needed escape and LOLs, the kind we used to get so often in the 1990s and early 2000s, when comedies often ran a tight hour and a half. This one does the same, bringing back the feel of the good ol’ days.

Inspired by the 1995 cult classic Friday, this R-rated buddy comedy takes us through a gorgeously shot Los Angeles. We follow the frantic, over-the-top exploits of housemates and best friends: waitress Dreux (Keke Palmer of Nope) and starving artist Alyssa (Grammy-winner SZA in her film debut). They’re racing to raise $1,500 for rent money by 6 p.m. or face eviction from their racist landlord, Uche (Rizi Timane).

The directorial feature debut of Lawrence Lamont and written by Syreeta Singleton (TV’s Insecure, Central Park), One of Them Days is a commentary on working-class life and the stress of living paycheck-to-paycheck, as the girls’ day spirals into catastrophe after catastrophe.

The comedy works not just because of the ticking-clock premise, presented in bold text overlays reminding us of the looming eviction, but also because the stakes feel real. There’s a wealth of humor to mine when characters are desperate enough to chase money in risky ways. The result is both anxiety-inducing and hilarious, and anyone who has ever had to scramble for an emergency expense will relate.

It’s packed with gags and slapstick, but the comedy lands because of a smart, witty and socially aware script. Palmer and SZA also have strong onscreen chemistry and feel convincing as lifelong best friends, so different but bound by a soul-sister kind of love: Dreux is the practical one with plans, while Alyssa is the hopeful dreamer with blind faith.

One of Them Days doesn’t waste time on throwaway gags. Every bit ties into the narrative with sharp focus. Red herrings and foreshadowing pay off, and just as the heroines think their problems are solved, cash in hand, the money slips away, dragging them into deeper chaos.

Thanks to the film’s loose, inspired storytelling, the laughs come easily. It is unapologetic, heartfelt, raunchy, and packed with unexpected twists. Sure, some running gags verge on corny, but they’re minor compared to the riot of laughs and the film’s clear sense of purpose.

From their crumbling apartment and a strict immigrant landlord (whom Dreux roasts as “looking alopacious”) to a hacker-hairdresser, an angry redhead named Berniece (Aziza Scott), a gentrification threat, a well-endowed homeless boyfriend Keshawn (Joshua David Neal), and even ambulance bills, the pileup of comedy and disasters never stops.

Being broke is a universal human experience, and a day that just won’t go right is definitely “one of them days.” Yet beneath the chaos runs a spirit of survival, resilience, and hope. This is easily the most enjoyable comedy romp of the year so far, and ironically, while it’s about a terrible day, it will lift up yours. Exactly what comedy is meant to do.

4 out of 5 stars

Stream on Netflix