One Of Them Days Is The Buddy Comedy Keke Palmer Knew We Needed

Keke “The Gag Is, I Hope I Don’t Sound Ridiculous, I Know It Ain't, I Know It Ain't The StAAllion, Sorry To This Man, That’s A Slave Hymn” Palmer is the funniest person on the Internet. At just 31, Keke Palmer an industry veteran, having starred in her first film (The Barbershop 2: Back in Business) when she was only 11. Since then, she’s been accumulating jobs like Thanos collects infinity stones—doing everything from hosting a talk show, to voice acting work, and even performing in the Broadway version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (yes, the iconic and underrated musical originally starring Brandy and Whitney Houston). After a few years playing characters in more serious drama and horror films (Pimp in 2018, Hustlers in 2019, and Nope in 2022), Palmer is returning to her comedic roots.

Set in Los Angeles, One Of Them Days is a buddy comedy wherein Dreux (Palmer) and her best friend and roommate Alyssa (SZA) are as close as they are broke—which is to say, very. When Alyssa gives the girls’ rent money to her “stank-ass boyfriend Keshawn” (Palmer’s words, not mine!), the two work together to scrounge up $1500 by the end of the day to avoid eviction.

The movie is as funny as Palmer is in real life. The recipe of bad luck, good jokes, physical stunts, and hilarious hijinks creates an absolute treat of a film—the type that has been sorely missing in Hollywood for awhile. When I went to see it in theatres, no one really ever got the chance to stop laughing. Lingering giggles would run into new laugh-out-loud moments constantly.

Rounded out with a cast of comedic heavy-hitters like Lil Rel Howery, Janelle James, and Katt Williams—and an unexpected but delightful performance from Maude Apatow—One of Them Days is a film that you know you’ll comfort-watch for many years to come, when you’re having one of them days.

A couple days after the film’s hugely successful release (According to Deadline, the film earned back its budget of $14 million in its opening weekend), Unbothered caught up with Palmer over Zoom to talk about the movie’s success, working with Issa Rae and SZA, and the power of original and authentic stories. And yes—I was giggling the whole time.

Keke Palmer: Oh, my gosh! The way that the internet brings back the things that I don't even know, I'm like, What have I been doing? [Laughs]. It's so insane! I have to find that one. But I'm honored because, honestly, I was that girl that was just like, "I want to do the stuff that the guys are doing." I don't know why it can't be equalized. So it was exciting to get to do this with SZA—she's amazing.

I feel like even in the comedy and the buddy-ness of [the movie], it’s still so unique to our perspective as young women. It's an original story, but it also feels so nostalgic in so many ways. For me, I don't mean to sound biased because, obviously, I'm in the movie, [but] when I first watched Lawrence [Lamont’s] director's cut, I immediately was like, "I want to watch it again.” Because I like Dreux and Alyssa!

KP: He didn't even dip the ends! [Laughs].

KP: It means what I feel like I've always known, which is that everybody likes original and authentic stories, you know what I'm saying? I know we live in a world where there's so much misogyny, racism, et cetera. But the reality is nobody wants to see the same thing all the time. We all want to see [something] different and outside of our cultures especially. That's the reason why Black folks love the movie Selena.

KP: We're not Latinx, but we love the storyline because it's a good movie and she was a beautiful person. I feel like it's the same thing with One of Them Days. To see that impact, it just proves that people want to see lives. They want to see original storylines and good characters. As long as the script is strong and the movie is put together well, Black, white, women, men—we all should be able to thrive.

KP: [Issa] knows how to bring people together really, really well. She's able to put the [right] people in the [right] positions [and] really entrust them. When it's time for her to step out, she'll step out, but she doesn't step on anybody's toes. She's [also] quite bold and daring, meaning she's willing to try things and throw things out there. She wants to push, which I love.

I loved seeing her get her hands dirty in terms of also being on set and pitching things in real-time. "Hey, they should say this. Hey, she should do this. Let's add that.” But [she is] also respectful to the director [and to] protocol. A lot of times when people are coming up in any field, they just want to get in and do it [but] there's a system. There's a way it works. I love and respect that [she follows it].

KP: Oh, a lot of times! "You looking really alopecious today." There was stuff in the payday loan scene. [The] tumbleweave. There was a lot. I can't remember every single one [because] there was so much improv going on. Every scene that we did, she was in the back fishing for something funnier.

KP: [Nodding] It got to the point where me and her were like, "Damn, did we know each other in another life?"

KP: I don't know if I had advice, I just want her to know that I had her back. For me as an actor, that's what matters the most. Whether it's two romantic characters or just any character that you're playing, that person needs to know that you got their back 1000%. I think that's the main thing. I wanted her to know that we ain't going to be looking crazy, that we're about to kill this role, and she can depend on me. I don't know that she needed me to tell her anything about acting. She came prepared. She showed up and showed out. She's a natural.

KP: Okay!

KP: Bothered. She's done.

KP: I'm unbothered. He has to see me ugly someday. If he can pass this, then great.

KP: Well, what kind of criminal?

KP: Petty crime? I'm not bothered. Unbothered.

KP: This is the thing. I'm not unbothered because I'm living! Living and loving it.

KP: The gag is.