“I’m not built for this.”

A textbook example of how pitch perfect casting can elevate something extremely basic, One of Them Days skates by on the chemistry and comedic chops of its two leading ladies. It’s one of those stories where what can go wrong will go wrong, leading the duo down one increasingly chaotic road trying to somehow come up with their rent money by end of day. It honestly starts to get tiresome watching the two fail over and over, and we know they’re going to inevitably have a big fight before making up, but One of Them Days manages to salvage what it can, ending up as a feature made of spare parts and just enough comedic juice to get us from one destination to the next.

The setup couldn’t be more simple. Old friends and roommates Dreux (Keke Palmer) & Alyssa (SZA) thought they were good on rent for the month. But when their landlord comes knocking and it’s time to pay up, the money suddenly seems to be missing, and Dreux suspects Alyssa’s lazy boyfriend of stealing the money. So, how can they come up with $1,500 in a day? After all, Dreux is a just waitress hoping to be a franchise manager and Alyssa is an unemployed artist afraid to share her work with the world. They try tacking down the boyfriend, donating as much blood as humanly possible, and even risk electrocution by climbing a pole to retrieve some Jordans.

All of the hijinks are fine for what they are, but when the film introduces a ruthless gangster who jacks up the price tag even more, things start to get a little too far-fetched. Even after a failed interview for the manager position, Dreux still doesn’t give up hope and Alyssa resorts to some shady ways of ensuring they don’t get screwed out of their hard earned money again. Everything here falls together quite tidily despite all of the wreckage that ensues, showing how the strength of their friendship can survive small qualms and petty grievances. They’ll go down swinging if they have to.

We all know Keke Palmer’s comedic chops and the absolute charisma she brings to every role, but I was surprised by SZA here, who is every bit as hilarious while being able to emote her frustrations as well. It’s fun watching them get into the thick of things together, bouncing jokes and material off each other and their surroundings, all while putting on-screen a bond that I’m sure is just as tangible and honest in real life. One of Them Days has a lot of things in it that you can fake; chemistry this good ain’t one of them.

“We’re above it.”

Rating: 3 out of 5