One of Them Days

Plot Summary

Dreux (Keke Palmer) is a hard-working waiter living paycheck to paycheck with her best friend, Alyssa (SZA), a talented artist with less than great choices in men. When the day Dreux’s interview to be a franchise manager arrives, however, it’s the first of the month, and Alyssa’s choices have led to their rent money disappearing. So begins a comedy of errors as one thing after another goes wrong as they try to get their money for rent in time to keep their place; it’s just one of them days. This is a fun comedy duo exploring the limits of their friendship and love for each other while navigating the trials of surviving adulthood. 

Critical Evaluation

One of Them Days provides the fun and lighthearted romp of a story following the lives and struggles of two black women navigating adult life. It follows a formulaic structure as the two go on an odyssey across LA, pursued by those wishing them harm and propelled by a ticking clock. This structure, while not new, provides a foundation for the exploration of community support and care that pervades the narrative. From the very first scene, the audience watches Dreux working at the diner as a waiter, anticipating the needs of her customers, providing extra care and service, and helping people in the kitchen. She is someone who helps and gives to others, and by the end of the movie, others provide for her in return. This community care and support isn’t a lesson to be learned but an accepted reality of their lives. Each person Dreux and Alyssa interact with within their apartment complex contributes to the community, whether it is through a convenience store in one apartment or another person providing haircuts. While each person sets up boundaries when necessary, they are also willing to help each other without asking. 

***Spoilers ahead! Skip this section if you don’t want to be spoiled!***

The culminating scene ends with the entire apartment community joining together to support Alyssa and Dreux through an impromptu art show. With the exception of the one white character, no one was explicitly asked to help, but everyone contributed to setting it up and providing additional amenities like food. Even though it has been established that those in this apartment complex are struggling in their own ways, they still provide in this critical moment for the protagonists. Despite never being explicitly commented upon, this action shows the inherent power behind community and imperative to the survival of the two women, in this case quite literally. This movie shows how someone can pursue their own goals, interests, and needs while still participating in and contributing to a larger community. 

***Spoilers End***

Creative Use for a Library Program 

While not necessarily a fun program, One of Them Days would inspire me to have a financial literacy course in the library. It’s a skill that isn’t often taught in schools and that teens need and want to know (Matzinger, 2024). Understanding finances and how to handle money is integral to leading a healthy and stable life, so teens should have access to that information sooner than later. It’s better to learn early than to have to learn it while struggling to make ends meet. It’s also helpful to have basic knowledge of financial topics to understand the full weight of the situation that the main characters are in. This type of program could come as a single day with just some basic information about how credit cards, checks, and banks function or it could be different sessions discussing budgeting, credit scores, loans, scholarships, retirement, and more. 

Book Talk

Two best friends, one uptight and the other a bit too loose, don’t have money for rent, and it’s the first of the month. They need to get the $1,500 by 6pm, but it’s just “one of them days,” and nothing will go their way. 

Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation

This movie is rated R, but there is not any excessive violence and no depictions of sexual acts. There is implied sex and one scene with a dick print, but the only other reasoning for the rating would be the amount of swearing. I honestly don’t notice when people swear, particularly in the media I consume, so I cannot say how much swearing is used, but it is the reality of how others speak. If a parent doesn’t want their child to consume any media with curse words, they have the right to prevent their child from watching it, but this movie has more positive lessons behind it that the swearing never overshadows. It teaches the importance of financial responsibility, friendship, community, and owning up to your mistakes. 

Reason for Inclusion

I wanted to watch this movie because I’ve only heard good things about it since it premiered last month. I also love anything that Keke Palmer is involved in. I’m glad that I saw it, as the movie is hilarious, fun, and warmed my heart. It’s a great showing of the power of friendship and what supporting another person through thick (not so much thin) looks like. I loved how Alyssa would gas Dreux up, actively trying to uplift her and remind her of her inner power. While most teens may not be going through the exact challenges of Dreux and Alyssa, interpersonal relationship problems are something that anyone can latch onto. 

References:

Common Sense Media. (2025). One of them days. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/one-of-them-days 

First We Feast. (2025, January 21). Keke Palmer vs. SZA vs. Issa Rae | Hot ones versus [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy0mPIZJMjA 

IMDb. (2025). One of them days (2025) [Image]. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32221196/mediaviewer/rm204968706/?ref_=tt_ov_i 

Matzinger, K. (2024, August 6). Teens want financial literacy education, but many schools don’t offer it.  Junior Achievement USA. https://jausa.ja.org/news/blog/teens-want-financial-literacy-education-but-many-schools-don-t-offer-it 

Morales, W. (2023, November 9). Exclusive: Showrunner and executive producer Syreeta Singleton talks season 2 of RAP SH!T. BlackFilmandTV.com. https://www.blackfilmandtv.com/exclusives/exclusive-showrunner-and-executive-producer-syreeta-singleton-talks-season-2-of-rap-sht 

Sony Pictures Entertainment. (2024, October 24). One of them days - Official trailer (HD) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5xzjw_0d_0 

Voyage LA. (2019, February 11). Meet Syreeta Singleton. https://voyagela.com/interview/meet-syreeta-singleton/