When you search for “black women buddy comedies” on Google, the “What to Watch” section only displays a limited number of results. This list includes the 1997 film “B.A.P.S.”, the 2017 hit “Girls Trip” (starring an ensemble cast of four women), and the 1995 film “Waiting to Exhale” (primarily a romantic drama that could be classified as a quartet-led movie). In contrast, there are many more male buddy comedies and female buddy comedies featuring white women that have been released in the 21st century.
From movies like “Baby Mama” and “Bridesmaids” to “The Heat” and “Booksmart,” the list of films featuring comedic female duos and other pairings is longer than that for Black women specifically.
A new buddy comedy starring Keke Palmer and SZA is striving to break this stereotype.
“
One Of Them Days
This comedy series, “Rap Sh!t”, was created by Syreeta Singleton, who is also the showrunner, and is directed by Lawrence Lamont. It marks the first time a buddy comedy starring two Black women has been released in the US in nearly eight years, and the first to feature a duo in nearly three decades. The show reunites actors Chlöe and SZA, who previously starred together in a popular 2022 episode of “Saturday Night Live”, and also features several well-known comedic actors, including Katt Williams, Lil Rel Howery, Maude Apatow, Janelle James, Vanessa Bell Calloway, and Keyla Monterroso Mejia.
The movie, set in South Los Angeles and co-produced by Issa Rae, explores a crazy day in the lives of two broke and best friends who live together, Dreux and Alyssa. After Alyssa’s boyfriend, a freeloader, spends all their rent money, they must come up with $1,500 by the end of the day while also helping Dreux prepare for a job interview that could change their lives. In their quest for quick cash, they get into a series of ridiculous and hilarious misadventures.
The chaotic story “One Of Them Days” has a series of silly mishaps, all caused by Alyssa and Dreux’s ridiculous attempts to get rich, which involve a disastrous blood bank fiasco and a ridiculous sale of sneakers from a power line, as well as a last resort plan to borrow money from a high-interest payday loan spot.
The campy comedy also creates a semi-heartening storyline, highlighting the strong bond between the two women as they face challenges together and as individuals. While Dreux’s tough personality push her to aim for more than just being a waitress, Alyssa struggles to break out of her comfort zone to turn her passion for painting into a full-time career.
There’s a special appeal to “One Of Them Days” that brings back the Black women buddy comedy for audiences who have been without one for nearly 30 years, a fact that Rae noted in a
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.
We haven’t seen black female buddy comedies since ‘B*A*P*S’ and even ‘Girls Trip,’ but buddy comedies with a duet of women, specifically.
Fans’ enthusiasm can be attributed to
Black Twitter specifically
One reason the “One Of Them Days” trailer stood out when it debuted this fall is that it stars talented actress Palmer, Grammy-winning singer SZA, and other well-known Hollywood stars. This is also notable since it’s a relatively rare moment for two Black women to be at the forefront of a prominent comedy film.
To truly grasp the importance, consider looking at the brief history of subgenre we’re discussing.
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late Natalie Desselle-Reid
As Southern girls Nisi and Mickey, respectively, in “B.A.P.S.” (short for Black American Princesses), the movie follows the eccentric duo from Georgia as they fly to Los Angeles to try to snag a long-shot music video audition, but instead find themselves getting taken advantage of and scamming a wealthy, elderly millionaire out of $10,000, plus room and board in his opulent mansion in Beverly Hills.
This novelty was a status symbol, albeit an absurd one, in theory.
ahead of its time
, per
less-than-stellar reviews
from
film critics
It showcased a variety of Black women’s experiences, ranging from happy and carefree to challenging and filled with difficulties, in a humorous context.
with
(a beloved comedy with a “happy-ever-after” ending) that went unnoticed by the public when it was first released. However, the movie has become a cult classic in the years that followed for audiences who appreciated the special place it carved out for Black women as an underrepresented demographic in comedic films.
A lot of that is credited to the undeniable chemistry between Berry and Desselle, who make a great comedy team, and an inspiration to comedians today.
” One of the days” director, Lamont, mentioned in an
interview with Macro
He stated that there wasn’t a direct reference for his film, but he made nods to the “Friday” franchise and other classic Black ’90s movies, noting that “B.A.P.S.” was the closest thing to it.
That movie made me think about all the times I’ve seen Black women in main characters, how that affected my feelings.
This film isn’t the only one that highlighted Black women in buddy comedies.
The other instance of Black women who starred prominently in a film is “Girls Trip,” which came out 20 years after “B.A.P.S.” tried to make its mark. The Malcolm D. Lee-directed film raised the bar this time by featuring a college friends group, affectionately known as the Flossy Posse, who reunite at the Essence Festival (a popular summer event in New Orleans that Black women attend every year) to strengthen their lifelong friendship.
Unlike its predecessor, the explicit R-rated movie created a huge impact when it was released, with a significant number of
rave reviews
praising its
heartwarming message
about Black sisterhood and
female-driven comedy
It may have been due to the fact that “Girls Trip” more realistically (or acceptingly) portrayed Black women’s experiences. Nonetheless, “Girls Trip” took up the mantle and filled in the gaps that Hollywood seemed hesitant to address until then.
The market for mainstream Black comedies wasn’t thriving as much in the early 2000s or 2010s, specifically in terms of films receiving critical acclaim. Black women buddy comedies were hardly even considered by producers. However,
record box-office numbers
The film definitively confirmed that “Girls Trip” was an outlier, yet an indispensable contribution that could open doors for the genre.
The success of Girls Trip can be largely attributed to the combination of Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tiffany Haddish, and Regina Hall, the latter two being well-known for their comedic talents, with a hilarious script written by Tracy Oliver and Kenya Barris. When all these elements came together, they created a comedic storyline that put Girls Trip in the same league as other popular hits like The Hangover and Bridesmaids. In fact, Girls Trip helped pave the way for
upcoming sequel
There is still no release date announced.
It also gave a glimmer of hope that movies about Black women friendship comedies could be revived, even after a long period without any. The success of this film is proof that audiences are hungry for this type of movie. So, Rae, Lamont, Singleton and the makers of “One Of Them Days” decided to bring another lighthearted movie about Black women to the big screen.
Buddy comedies may be over-the-top, but they’re a field where Black women have the talent and ability to shine – just ask Palmer and SZA, whose performances are a great example of this. Despite what the movie and TV industry shows, humor is a part of Black women’s lives, from quiet moments with friends to social media to everyday conversations. We rely on humor to get us through tough times and to lift each other up when we need it most. But surprisingly, this is often absent from mainstream entertainment and even from the buddy comedy genre.
There’s still time to fix that.
It’s too early to tell if “One Of Them Days” will surpass its predecessors’ momentum and ensure black women buddy comedies remain a staple in film. However, its early success is mounting a compelling argument for its potential.
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glowing reviews
and a
The cartoonry has an America perfect film review score from the website Rotten Tomatoes.
The film will be a welcome surprise for the first big comedy release of the year. Its funny lines and scenes are bound to be shared widely on social media when it reaches a wide audience in theaters, which we hope won’t be forgotten by the end of 2025.
There’s potential for another breakout “One Of Them Days” movie to become a reality sooner rather than later, thanks to sufficient support. This film has the potential to revitalize a new wave of comedic storytelling specifically featuring Black women.
if
This film may surprise Hollywood by being a better comedy than expected, and it can also break down stereotypes about Black female-led movies.
“There’s a big push for it to be successful, so that studios and the industry can always say it’s because Black people want to see it or women are coming to movies.”
told
.
Her dream is to see “One Of Them Days” become “a classic that’s remembered right alongside the other iconic films of our era.”
We can only hope that’ll become a reality one day. Maybe then Hollywood will start producing movies that give funny Black women duos the films they deserve.
“One Of Them Days” is currently showing in movie theaters.
