‘One Of Them Days’ Ending, Explained: Do Alyssa And Dreux Get Their Money Back?

Keke Palmer and SZA redefine ride-or-die friendships in the new buddy comedy, One of Them Days. 

Written by Rap Sh!t‘s Syreeta Singleton, directed by Lawrence Lamont (his first feature film, by the way), and executive-produced by Issa Rae, the film offers an inside glimpse of the lives of characters as they experience one of those days where nothing seems to be swinging in their favor.

What is ‘One of Them Days’ about?

According to an official synopsis for One of Them Days: “Best friends and roommates Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) are about to have one of those days. When they discover Alyssa’s boyfriend has blown their rent money, the duo finds themselves going to extremes in a comical race against the clock to avoid eviction and keep their friendship intact.”

Following the revelation that Alyssa and Dreux’s rent money has been withdrawn, the countdown for eviction begins, and the pair embark on a failed journey to obtain the money, which turns into a series of side quests to raise the funds needed to pay the rent. 

While getting the money, they encounter neighborhood bullies, a judgy worker at the neighborhood loan borrower, a killer kingpin, and more. 

How is their friendship tested?

What begins as a journey together soon leads to a fallout due to Alyssa and Dreux’s frustration when they lose the rent money (again) due to Alyssa’s inherently lackadaisical nature. 

Not only have they lost the money, but they soon discover that they’re in massive trouble with King Lolo (Amin Joseph), the person that Katt Williams’ Lucky warns them of when Alyssa manages to successfully but unsuccessfully carry out a plan to take a pair of vintage Nike sneakers dangling from a powerline (and if you’re Black with any inkling of street smarts, you know this is a huge NO-NO).

Do they get the money back?

While they don’t get the money back from Keyshawn (Joshua Neal) or his new boo, thanks to Dreux’s quick thinking, it isn’t long before the pair come up with the funds necessary to overcome the latest challenge that King Lolo wants to kill them. 

What happens to their apartment?

Alyssa and Dreux never avoided the looming eviction they faced at the start of One of Them Days. However, an event does take place that sets them up for success. Here’s how it all went down.

After a glance at King Lolo, after he arrives at The Jungles to get the money that is owed to him, Alyssa devises a plan to avoid having to pay him the hard-earned money that she and Dreux were able to collect as a result of their art pop-up. When she attempts a failed diversion, the besties find themselves back in their (surprisingly not empty) apartment with the person who got them in the mess in the first place — Keyshawn.

Eventually, Lolo makes his way into their apartment. Due to candles lit by Alyssa’s trash of an ex-boyfriend to get her back, they soon find themselves trapped in a fire, preparing for their demise, until firefighters burst in to save the day.

Not only do they avoid Lolo, who was on the run from the payday loan folks who previously denied Alyssa and Dreux an advance earlier in the day, but Dreux finds out that her boo, Maniac, is a firefighter who vows to ensure they get their apartment back through renter’s insurance. He also reveals their landlord is in trouble for fire violations.

The film is more than just a buddy comedy. Following a chaotic day in the lives of two best friends and roommates, One of Them Days speaks to the power of community, resilience, acceptance and Black female friendships.

One of Them Days is currently available in theaters nationwide.