There’s a subtle but poignant moment in One of Them Days where Dreux (Keke Palmer) is preparing for a job interview and her best friend Alyssa (SZA) is emptying out her mental drawer of supportive phrases in efforts to fill Dreux with confidence. The moment is cute, playful, and a microcosm of the charming sisterhood that carries the movie. The film’s director Lawrence Lamont says it’s his favorite scene. “It’s just encouraging,” he says. “We all need someone that’s going to be our cheerleader during the toughest times.”
Lamont is a Detroit native and a 2007 graduate of Southfield High School. He says he’s been infatuated with movies for as long as he can remember — even in grade school he was using his imagination to change endings on the films he watched. “I had an aunt that used to record everything on VHS, so I would lock myself in a room and watch so many movies,” he says.
In high school, he got involved in all aspects of theater and in 2011 he was a co-writer for the independent movie CornerStore with Joseph Doughrity and Dwight Patillo. This was before Tubi became a haven for indie Black filmmakers, when DVD was still the dominant format and a cinematic video camera could cost you more than a Honda Civic. CornerStore became a Detroit favorite and a stepping stone for Lamont. “It did good! Once it got bootlegged, I knew we made it,” he says with a laugh.
Lamont went on to direct nearly a dozen music videos for platinum-selling emcees Big Sean (most notable “IDFWU” and “I Know”) and J. Cole’s “G.O.M.D.” “I would approach my videos like mini movies,” he says. “I never wanted to be typecasted. You think John Singleton, Spike Jonze, [the] ‘Remember the Time’ video, stuff that felt a way. So I really approached them cinematically.”
In 2021 he signed to Color Creative, a management company owned by Insecure co-creator and star Issa Rae. The signing placed him in a space where he could pitch ideas, one of them being One of Them Days and another future project. “You know Detroiters, we’re going to seize the opportunity,” Lamont adds.
Directed by Lamont and written by Syreeta Singleton, One of Them Days takes viewers through the comical and sometimes chaotic journey of Dreux and Alyssa; two struggling Los Angeles roommates who have nine hours to come up with enough money to avoid eviction and other forms of impending doom. The duo has chemistry reminiscent of Chris Tucker and Ice Cube in Friday (1995), as Alyssa is a free spirit like Smokey while Druex is reminiscent of Craig, someone who prefers to plan things out.
“They’re the complete opposites, the problem being the solution,” Lamont adds.
Their quest to get the money is where all the fun is. There is a wild trip to the blood bank, advice from a homeless savant played by Katt Williams, a masked fast-food bandit, a twerking bully, and a WWE-style beatdown. But even with enough humor to fill up the Comedy Castle, it’s the sisterhood and the sense of community that ties everything together. SZA (who’s more known as an R&B singer with platinum hits) is exceptional in her film debut and making the ups and downs of Alyssa’s and Druex’s sistership feel authentic.
“It was all intentional,” Lamont says. “Their friendship, their community, being hopeful, that was something we wanted to shine bright.”
When asked how he wants the audience to feel when closing credits start rolling down the screen, Lamont pauses and smiles. “I want them to leave hopeful,” he says. “Because even when your back is against the wall during crazy circumstances, things will work out.”
