Keke Palmer and SZA comedy One Of Them Days is one of 2025's biggest films

Keke Palmer was destined to be a superstar, a fact that seemed evident decades ago. The actress and singer entered the public eye at the tender age of 11, honed her skills through Disney, and ultimately emerged as a bona fide comedic star with roles in Jordan Peele's "Nope" and Lorene Scafaria's "Hustlers."

With over 100 acting credits on IMDB, Palmer knows firsthand what it takes to garner attention. Now, the 31-year-old actress stars in the new buddy comedy "One Of Them Days," which has become a box office dark horse. She told ABC Entertainment, "Looking back on that time, I really invested a lot in myself and my career. This industry has its ups and downs, and nothing is ever guaranteed. I feel like I'm only now starting to reap the rewards of persevering."

"One Of Them Days," produced by "Insecure" creator and star Issa Rae, features Palmer as Dreux, a quick-witted waitress with grand plans for the future, starting with a crucial franchise meeting at headquarters. Musician SZA makes her acting debut as Alyssa, Dreux's roommate and best friend, a Pisces-natured artist who recklessly gives her share of the rent to her ambiguous love interest to pass on to the landlord.

Unsurprisingly, the rogue pockets the money, sending Dreux and Alyssa on a neighborhood-wide odyssey to scrape together the $1,500 they need to stay afloat. And they need to solve this before Dreux's important interview. "One Of Them Days" revisits the classic comedic adventure formula, drawing inspiration from films like "Friday" and "Superbad." Audiences follow Dreux and Alyssa with bated breath as they navigate a series of bizarre and desperate circumstances, encountering a range of comedic legends and newcomers along the way, from Katt Williams to Maude Apatow and Janelle James.

The film was primarily shot in the Jungle district of South Los Angeles, where the movie is also set. Director Lawrence Lemont was determined to capture the authentic essence of the community in the film, so he insisted on using real residents as background actors. He stated, "The middle class isn't really the middle class anymore. People are really struggling to pay rent. Things are very serious and chaotic on this planet. But humor is the gateway to happiness and joy. Ultimately, hope, laughter, and happiness will conquer anything else." Palmer stated that this dedication to accurately depicting things made it easier for her to immerse herself in the performance. "Comedy stems from reality, and I think that really helps in finding situational humor in any scene."

While Palmer is practically a Hollywood veteran, the world of film is brand new to her on-screen partner. Although SZA has performed all over the world, most recently at the Super Bowl in the United States with Kendrick Lamar, "One Of Them Days" marks SZA's acting debut. Of course, you wouldn't know it from the confident comedic chops she displays throughout the film, holding her own against some of the greatest comedic actors of the past few decades.

Palmer said, "I know it could be stressful for her, but she handled it with so much grace. I really enjoyed seeing her try it for the first time because being an actor is not easy, and she comes from being an independent talent where she has so much control. Seeing her be able to tap into the discomfort of doing something new and kill it was amazing." The relationship between Alyssa and Dreux is fluid and natural, radiating the energy of two friends who have been through so much that they can lovingly overlook each other's flaws. But Palmer says she and SZA had to build that connection on set due to an "unusually" tight shooting schedule.

Palmer said, "We really got to know each other as co-workers and had each other's experiences to learn about each other's personalities and build trust and comfort from there. We hung out a few times outside of work, and every time I felt like, especially when we were out, we naturally just had complete chemistry." "One Of Them Days" has performed beyond many people's expectations at the US box office. The film ranked second in the US in January and has now grossed $48 million domestically, against a budget of just $14 million.

In fact, "One Of Them Days" has quietly become the third-highest-grossing US film of 2025 so far, behind only "Captain America: Brave New World" and the children's animation "Dogman." The film has been a huge success with both critics and audiences, garnering an impressive 95% positive rating on the review website Rotten Tomatoes. Palmer says she hopes the film's success will inspire a greater appetite for female-led comedies with a message.

She said, "We just need more nuanced stories, stories that we don't see every day. The more we create, the more we can delve into our perspectives, experiences, thoughts, and reflections. So I just hope we get more of that so we can have more conversations that can inform us, but also allow us to reflect on ourselves."

"One Of Them Days" is now playing in theaters.