It’s been a long time coming for a buddy comedy like this and One of Them Days delivers on every level.

Lawrence Lamont Talks Buddy Comedy Magic, Groundbreaking Representation, and the Future of One of Them Days

Directed by Lawrence Lamont, the film brings together the dynamic duo of Keke Palmer and SZA as two best friends navigating chaos, comedy, and the rent money gone missing. GlobalGrind Sr. Content Director Janeé Bolden spoke with Lawrence about his approach to the buddy comedy genre, creating a universal story, and the possibility of turning One of Them Days into a franchise.

Asked about his take on freshening up the buddy comedy genre, Lawrence Lamont shared how his influences inspired his vision.

“I think I’m the sum of my influences,” Lawrence explained. “I’ve studied so many filmmakers and have love. I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me—Spike Lee, John Singleton, the Hughes Brothers, these directors that have shot wonderful films in LA and to your point, I’ve never really seen one like this before.”

He continued, “I definitely pulled from films like Superbad and Friday of course, but made sure it was contemporary. It being so original on the page already just made it easy. And me stepping back saying, ‘Wow, it really hasn’t been a buddy comedy with two Black women, like yeah you know think about B.A.P.S., and then it’s like why is that one, you know I could only find one?’ So keeping it original but also like keeping that magic that the ‘90s films had was like a big goal of mine.”

Keke and SZA Commit to Physical Comedy

The physical comedy in One of Them Days stood out, so we were definitely curious if Lawrence had to convince Keke and SZA to trust him for the more daring scenes.

“I mean I don’t say I had to implore them,” Lawrence said. “We all were having so much fun. We knew what this movie was. We know that it’s crazy but in the same vein I never wanted things to feel goofy or slapstick, and that’s one thing I would implore them: ‘Like trust me, I know this feels crazy, but it looks cool.’ So it was more so a lot of that.”

Lamont shared how SZA’s gymnastics background played a big role in her willingness to dive into the action. “SZA was high up but we did a little trick there. She got shocked and she fell. Those days were so hot. SZA did gymnastics growing up, so she was all in. Anything that I thought she might push back on, like climbing the poles, all the running, she leaned into it, which was really cool.”

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While One of Them Days is set in the Los Angeles neighborhood known as The Jungles, Lamont spoke to GlobalGrind about how he balanced capturing the authenticity of LA with making the story feel universal.

“I knew that I was stepping into a studio film so you know being all the way grounded may not translate worldwide,” he said. “Being from Detroit I wanted to keep the essence of the city. I wanted it to feel like it was authentic but I also wanted it to feel like anywhere. Like you were from anywhere. Like you can be in LA, this could happen in Philly, this could happen in Atlanta, this could happen in London. So that was really intentional, to keep it grounded but also have a touch of broadness to it as well so that not just people from LA can relate.”

One Of Them Days Features A Star-Studded Ensemble

The film’s ensemble cast and cameos are incredible so we definitely wanted to know who Lawrence was most excited to work with for the first time.

“Definitely Katt Williams and also Janelle James and you know Amin Joseph, Lil Rel,” Lawrence shared. “I would say all of them for sure, but when the idea for Katt came, that we could possibly get him to play Lucky, I was like praying. I had my director’s meeting and we were aligned on visions, and he knew exactly what to do, and honestly, he was in character the entire time.”

There’s Room for a One Of Them Days Sequel

The film leaves some room for more adventures, and Lawrence is open to turning One of Them Days into a franchise.

“I think so,” he said. “I look at movies like Friday, even movies like Hangover. I know that’s different, but look at these type of films, these comedies. You can do Another One of Them Days, and we don’t know what happened. Their apartment burned down, we give you a taste of how things are maybe a few months after, but I think it’s more than enough room for this to not only have a sequel but just to be a huge franchise.”

With its fresh perspective, hilarious physical comedy, and groundbreaking representation of Black women in the buddy comedy genre, One of Them Days is a must-see. Lawrence Lamont has created a film that’s equal parts nostalgic and contemporary, relatable and aspirational.

Make sure you catch One Of Them Days in theaters today, Friday January 17.