10 Best Movies Like One Of Them Days

One of Them Days is the debut directorial feature from Lawrence Lamont, and it’s already one of the most unforgettable movies of the year so far. The film centers around two young women named Alyssa and Dreux, played by SZA and Keke Palmer respectively, whose rent money is stolen by the former’s lazy boyfriend. As they race against the clock to make up the missing money before they’re evicted from their apartment, the friends’ responsibilities soon catch up with them. One of Them Days has performed excellently at the box office, proving that there’s still a place for adult comedies like this.

More than anything, One of Them Days feels like a film that’s clearly inspired by mature comedies from the ‘80s and ‘90s, using likable characters and dark humor to explore some genuinely powerful themes. In this case, it’s the importance of community and friendship that Lamont explores through his debut feature, using the backdrop of this all-black community in Los Angeles to comment on the cultural divide in the city. One of Them Days has been compared to Tyler Perry’s work, but there are several other projects and filmmakers whom Lamont likely drew inspiration from.

10

Life (1999)

Directed By Ted Demme

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Life

R

Comedy

Crime

Drama

Release Date

April 16, 1999

Runtime

108 Minutes

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    Eddie Murphy

    Rayford Gibson

  • Headshot Of Martin Lawrence In The Premiere of Black Panther

    Martin Lawrence

    Claude Banks

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    Obba Babatundé

    Willie Long

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    Nick Cassavetes

    Sergeant Dillard

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Starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence in two of the most entertaining roles of their careers, Ted Demme’s Life is a classic comedy that features much of the same chaotic energy as One of Them Days. The story centers around two friends who are convicted of crimes they didn’t commit and must find a way to prove their innocence while serving an extended sentence in prison. It’s a film that effortlessly balances the line between comedy and drama, dealing both with the unbreakable power of friendship and the endless legal injustices thrust upon minorities in America.

Dreux and Alyssa have fun in the car in One of Them Days

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One Of Them Days Review: Keke Palmer & SZA’s Buddy Comedy Is Silly Fun & Reminds Me How Much I’ve Missed Movies Like This

One of Them Days is fun and absurd. Keke Palmer and SZA are great together and it’s their chemistry and interactions that largely work. 

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9

Tag (2018)

Directed By Jeff Tomsic

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R

Comedy

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6/10

8.5/10

Release Date

June 15, 2018

Runtime

105minutes

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    Annabelle Wallis

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    Brian Dennehy

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While Tag certainly has a bad reputation among those who consider its playful storytelling to be boring and messy, there’s certainly something charming about the way it doesn’t care about being something groundbreaking or innovative – the film is happy being a simple buddy comedy, and it does a good job. The film tells the story of a group of friends who play an extended group of tag across thirty years, making their moves at the most unexpected and inconvenient of moments. Tag is an underrated comedy that deserves more credit for its lighthearted atmosphere and storytelling confidence.

8

White Chicks (2004)

Directed By Keenen Ivory Wayans

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White Chicks

PG-13

Comedy

Crime

8/10

Release Date

June 23, 2004

Runtime

109 Minutes

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    Marlon Wayans

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    Shawn Wayans

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Above all else, One of Them Days is a story about black communities in America and how society has a tendency to treat people differently depending on where they’re from and who they know. However, much like White Chicks, it explores these inherently political ideas in a totally ridiculous way, making fun of the entire thing with slapstick comedy and goofy jokes. This movie follows two black FBI agents who go undercover as white women to protect two friends from a potential abduction.

7

She’s Gotta Have It (1986)

Directed By Spike Lee

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She’s Gotta Have It

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Comedy

Romance

Release Date

August 8, 1986

Runtime

84 Minutes

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    Tracy Camilla Johns

    Jamie Overstreet

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    Tommy Redmond Hicks

    Nola Darling

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    John Canada Terrell

    Greer Childs

  • Headshot Of Spike Lee

    Spike Lee

    Mars Blackmon

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There are countless similarities between One of Them Days and the early works of Spike Lee, but She’s Gotta Have It might just be the most fitting comparison. Both films use an effective blend of comedy and romance to explore themes as poignant as female autonomy and toxic masculinity – all from the simple framework of a by-the-book rom-com. The film boasts some of Lee’s most personal and intimate writing to date, with a lead performance from Tracy Camilla Johns that’s endlessly endearing. It’s rarely considered among Spike Lee’s best movies, but it certainly deserves to be.

6

Juno (2007)

Directed By Jason Reitman

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PG-13

Comedy

Drama

8/10

Release Date

December 25, 2007

Runtime

96 minutes

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    Jason Bateman

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    Michael Cera

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There’s a spirit of freedom and independence in Juno that can be felt throughout One of Them Days, even if the specifics of their narratives are very different. Jason Reitman’s foundational coming-of-age drama follows a young girl named Juno MacGuff who navigates the obstacles of teenage pregnancy with her socially awkward boyfriend at her side. It’s a very lighthearted and charming film about female empowerment that leans heavily on the comedic rapport between Elliot Page and Michael Cera to succeed – much like One of Us Days does with SZA and Palmer.

5

Dear White People (2014)

Directed By Justin Simien

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Dear White People

NR

Drama

Romance

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8/10

Release Date

October 17, 2014

Runtime

108 minutes

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    Peter Syvertsen

    President Hutchinson

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    Brittany Curran

    Sophie Fletcher

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One of the best-written aspects of One of Them Days is the clashing dynamic between the two lead characters and their newly arrived white neighbor. It’s only a minor aspect of the story, but it does a great job of exploring how different communities can bond over a shared space, and the challenges that come with that. These themes are exactly what Dear White People is about – a powerful dark comedy that centers around four black students surrounded by white classmates at a prestigious college. The characters are Dear White People’s biggest strength, as everybody is so well-written and performed to perfection.

4

Plan B (2021)

Directed By Natalie Morales

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Dear White People

NR

Drama

Romance

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8/10

Release Date

October 17, 2014

Runtime

108 minutes

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    Peter Syvertsen

    President Hutchinson

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    Brittany Curran

    Sophie Fletcher

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The most exciting part of One of Them Days that’s rarely seen in modern comedies is how free-flowing and unscripted it feels; there are plenty of scenes that exist only to display the hilarious dynamic between these two friends, and that really creates a bond between the characters and the audience. This is something that Plan B also does excellently. The film centers around two young girls who have 24 hours to hunt down an emergency contraception pill in rural South Dakota, taking them on a wild goose chase of unwanted encounters along the way.

3

Superbad (2007)

Directed By Greg Mottola

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Superbad

R

Comedy

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7/10

11

8.1/10

Release Date

August 17, 2007

Runtime

113 minutes

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    Seth Rogen

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    Bill Hader

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Superbad is regularly cited as one of the best comedy movies ever made, and there’s a good reason for it. The film was so ahead of its time with its realistic, layered portrayal of young adulthood that audiences could easily relate to, with the comedic dynamic between Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse working wonders to make these figures seem three-dimensional. One of These Days adopts a very similar approach, placing its characters at the heart of the narrative and simply letting their lives play out in a natural and entertaining way.

2

Game Night (2018)

Directed By John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein

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Game Night

R

Comedy

Action

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7/10

8/10

Release Date

February 23, 2018

Runtime

93minutes

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    Sharon Horgan

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Game Night is arguably the most underrated comedy of the past few years, with its studio-manufactured veneer concealing a much richer, well-written story that sucks audiences in from the very first minute. The narrative centers around a group of friends who construct elaborate game nights that take them on scavenger hunts through the city, but when their game is intercepted by a very real band of criminals, the friends struggle to separate reality from their own pastime. With excellent performances from Rachel McAdams, Jason Bateman and Jesse Plemons, Game Night is brimming with hilarious scenes that all land perfectly.

1

Do The Right Thing (1989)

Directed By Spike Lee

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Do the Right Thing

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Drama

Documentary

9.5/10

Release Date

June 14, 1989

Runtime

120 minutes

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  • Headshot Of Danny Aiello

    Danny Aiello

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    Ossie Davis

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As mentioned, Lawrence Lamont’s directorial style is very reminiscent of Spike Lee’s early works – so it’s no surprise that Do The Right Thing is among the first projects that come to mind. This groundbreaking comedy is perhaps the most genre-defining project of the 1980s, using an ensemble cast of hilarious characters and a free-flowing script to immerse the audience in this specific moment – one summer day in a Brooklyn neighborhood.

Spike Lee Do The Right Thing

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What Happened To Spike Lee’s Mookie After Do The Right Thing?

Spike Lee’s pizza delivery guy Mookie first appeared in his 1989 film Do The Right Thing, but he’s resurfaced in several other works since.

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What’s so special about Spike Lee’s writing and directing is that it feels so natural and spontaneous, creating the illusion that audiences are truly spending these hours with Mookie, Sal, Pino and Tina as their lives play out with effortless humor. This is something that Lamont clearly drew inspiration from in One of Them Days, with Palmer and SZA’s characters occupying a very similar space.

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Comedy

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6/10

11

9.2/10

Release Date

January 17, 2025

Director

Lawrence Lamont

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  • Headshot Of Keke Palmer

    Keke Palmer

    Dreux

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Sza

    Alyssa

One of Them Days, directed by Lawrence Lamont, follows best friends and roommates Dreux and Alyssa as they scramble to prevent eviction after discovering Alyssa’s boyfriend has squandered their rent money. This comedic adventure highlights their desperate and humorous attempts to save their home and friendship.

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