This is the story of director Lawrence Lamont’s One Of Them Days: When the first of the month comes along and two longtime friends living in south Los Angeles as roommates realize their hard-earned cash has been stolen,

The two have nine hours to get the rent money in a fast-talking day-in-the-life-of-the-hood comedy that's really a skewed portrait of a community.

Part of the pleasure of their journey is seeing who they’ll encounter along the way. “One of Them Days” though, blessedly, is not packed with super famous people. Instead, the obstacles for Dreux and Alyssa are simply played by sharp comic actors at the top of their game.

Horror, not comedy, has been the go-to movie genre in recent years, but a movie like “One of Them Days,” starring Keke Palmer and, in her big-screen debut, SZA, is a good reminder of what we’ve been missing.

This movie would go into theaters and become a respectable hit and sometimes create sequels. But now far too many comedies, regardless of quality, only show up on streaming services. They're deemed not big enough for the spectacle of an auditorium screen nor are they arty enough to compete for awards.

One of Them Days hinges so much on the chemistry and comedic back and forth of its leads, and Keke Palmer and SZA deliver.

One of Them Days” has a couple points of significant distinction, one of them tragic. As a 100% Los Angeles comedy in location and spirit, it’s the first 2025 release of its kind since the wildfires broke out on Jan.