The trailer for upcoming buddy flick, One of Them Days (MACRO/Tri-Star), is gut-busting hilarious. Starring the always funny Keke Palmer and SZA, the film tells the story of two roommates who are challenged to find rent money. How did the two land in this predicament? SZA's character's boyfriend "invests" their rent money into a hair-brained T-Shirt business and the race is on to meet their landlord's deadline.
Film director Lawrence Lamont (Rap Sh!t) sat down with UpRising (subscribe here) to give some insight on the making of the film, which also features Katt Williams. Lamont was asked about his experience bringing the funny out of music titan SZA.
"It was easy, honestly," he said. "SZA is a fun-loving person. Her music is so special and connects with so many people. She reminds me of Alyssa, the character she's playing. She told me the first time we met in person that one of her best friends reminds her of [Keke Palmer's character] Dreux and she's Alyssa, like, out the gate, before we started doing anything. I was like, “Let's lean into that.” SZA’s timing creatively transitions so easily and so well onto the screen. Also, having Keke Palmer elevates everyone. So, with her there it wasn't that hard at all. SZA has an incredible sense of humor and was ready to lean in."
One of Them Days is the first buddy comedy led by Black women since Girls Trip and cult-classic B.A.P.S. before that. Outside of those films Lawrence says he was able to draw inspiration from stylized works like Friday and John Singleton's Boyz in the Hood. He also look to box office smashes like Superbad and Bridesmaids. But most essential were works that relied on time being an actual character (Note: the rent money is due by the end of the day.).
"I started thinking about films that used time as an element, like Ferris Bueller's Day Off, a lot of John Hughes work," Lamont said. "Even Breakfast Club, you know, they used time differently. They were staring at this clock all day in detention."
In addition to Keke and SZA, Lamont was pleased with Katt Williams' performance and presence on set. The comedian, who made waves earlier this year with his sitdown with Shannon Sharp, was an encouraging veteran. He delivered some the ad lib magic he's know for but always within the context of the script.
"Once we got into the flow of things, he started improvising, giving us some gold that was still within the basis of our scenes and not going too crazy," said Lamont. "There are a couple lines towards the end of the film that he just completely improvs that are so funny. He found moments. We found pockets of improvisation and areas where he could really have fun."
Read the full Q&A at MACRO.
One of Them Days is set for release on January 24, 2025.