The One of Them Days parents guide is an essential resource for families trying to determine whether this 2025 buddy comedy is appropriate for their household. Starring Keke Palmer and SZA in her feature film debut, this movie follows two best friends and roommates navigating a chaotic 24 hours after discovering their rent money has been stolen by a no-good boyfriend. While the premise sounds like lighthearted fun, the R-rating signals that this film contains content that warrants careful consideration before family viewing. Understanding what content a film contains before pressing play has become increasingly important in an era of streaming accessibility.
Children and teenagers can easily access movies without the natural barrier of theatrical releases, making parental awareness crucial. One of Them Days presents a particular challenge because its marketing emphasizes comedy and female friendship””themes that might seem family-friendly on the surface””while the actual content includes substantial adult material including strong language, sexual references, and mature situational humor. This comprehensive guide breaks down every content concern parents should know about, from specific language used to thematic elements explored throughout the film. By the end, readers will have a complete picture of what One of Them Days contains, enabling informed decisions about whether the film suits different age groups and family viewing standards. The guide also addresses the positive messages within the film and provides practical suggestions for parents who decide to watch with older teens.
Table of Contents
- What Age Rating Does the One of Them Days Parents Guide Recommend?
- Language and Profanity Content in One of Them Days
- Sexual Content and Mature Themes in the Film
- Drug and Alcohol References Throughout One of Them Days
- Violence and Intense Scenes Parents Should Know About
- Positive Messages and Themes for Family Discussion
- How to Prepare
- How to Apply This
- Expert Tips
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Age Rating Does the One of Them Days Parents Guide Recommend?
one of Them Days received an R rating from the Motion Picture Association (MPA) for “language throughout, sexual material, and brief drug use.” This rating means the MPA advises that children under 17 should not view the film without a parent or adult guardian present. The rating specifically calls out language as a primary concern with the qualifier “throughout,” indicating profanity is persistent rather than occasional. For parents seeking more specific age guidance, most review aggregators and parental advisory sites suggest the film is most appropriate for viewers 17 and older, aligning with the official R rating.
The combination of pervasive strong language, sexually explicit dialogue, and adult situational comedy makes this unsuitable for younger teenagers despite the comedic tone. Some parents of mature 15 and 16-year-olds may find the content acceptable depending on household standards, but the film makes no attempt to soften its adult material. The R rating places One of Them Days in the same content category as other adult comedies like Girls Trip and Bridesmaids. Parents familiar with those films will have a reasonable baseline for what to expect here:.
- Pervasive use of the F-word and other strong profanity
- Frank discussions of sexual relationships and activity
- Comedy derived from adult situations and crude humor
- Brief recreational drug references and depiction
Language and Profanity Content in One of Them Days
The language in One of Them Days represents the most consistent content concern throughout the film’s 97-minute runtime. The F-word appears dozens of times, used by multiple characters in various contexts including anger, emphasis, and casual conversation. Secondary profanity including the S-word, various anatomical terms, and crude expressions appear regularly as well. The dialogue reflects how the characters might realistically speak in their circumstances, but the frequency and intensity exceed what most parents would consider appropriate for younger viewers. Beyond frequency, the context of language use matters to many parents.
Much of the profanity in One of Them Days occurs during comedic moments and arguments between friends, rather than in threatening or aggressive contexts. However, there are scenes of confrontation where language becomes more intense and potentially more impactful. Racial language appears as well, though within the context of black characters speaking among themselves rather than as slurs directed at others. Religious exclamations and deity references also occur throughout the film. Parents with particular concerns about this category of language should note that such expressions are used casually rather than in any theological context:.
- The F-word is used over 50 times throughout the film
- Strong sexual and anatomical slang appears in multiple scenes
- Insults and crude name-calling occur during character conflicts
- The N-word is used among Black characters in the film
Sexual Content and Mature Themes in the Film
Sexual content in One of Them Days manifests primarily through dialogue and comedic situations rather than explicit visual depictions. The opening act establishes Dreux’s relationship problems with her boyfriend, including frank discussions of their intimate life. SZA’s character Alyssa has her own romantic subplot that involves sexual humor and innuendo. The comedy frequently draws from relationship dynamics, physical attraction, and the characters’ love lives. While the film does not contain graphic sex scenes or nudity, the sexual references are explicit in their language and descriptive nature.
Characters discuss sexual acts directly, make crude jokes about physical attributes, and the humor often ventures into territory that assumes audience familiarity with adult relationships. One sequence involves the characters’ attempt to make quick money that puts them in a sexually charged environment, though the scene focuses more on comedy than titillation. Parents should also consider the thematic treatment of relationships in the film. Dreux’s boyfriend has not only stolen her rent money but has been unfaithful, leading to discussions of cheating and relationship dysfunction. While the film ultimately champions female friendship over bad romantic relationships, the journey there involves processing betrayal and poor relationship choices:.
- Verbal descriptions of sexual activity in comedic contexts
- Brief partial nudity in one scene
- Discussion of infidelity and its emotional impact
- Characters in revealing clothing during certain sequences
Drug and Alcohol References Throughout One of Them Days
The MPA specifically cited “brief drug use” in the rating, and parents should understand what this entails. The drug content in One of Them Days is relatively limited compared to the language and sexual material, but it does include marijuana use depicted on screen. Characters smoke cannabis in at least one scene, and references to drug use appear in dialogue throughout the film. The depiction is casual and normalized rather than cautionary. Alcohol consumption appears more frequently than drug use.
Characters drink in social situations, and alcohol factors into some comedic scenarios. The film does not depict addiction or problematic substance abuse as plot elements, treating alcohol and marijuana as normal parts of the characters’ social landscape. Neither substance use is shown leading to serious negative consequences within the story. For parents concerned about how substance use is portrayed to young viewers, the film takes a neutral-to-positive stance on recreational use among adults. There are no anti-drug messages or warnings about substance abuse:.
- Marijuana smoking depicted briefly on screen
- Alcohol consumption in social settings
- Casual attitude toward recreational substance use
- No depiction of hard drugs or addiction
Violence and Intense Scenes Parents Should Know About
One of Them Days is fundamentally a comedy rather than an action or thriller film, so violence is not a primary content concern. However, the film does contain some physical confrontations and intense moments that parents should anticipate. The climactic sequences involve physical comedy and confrontation as the characters try to recover their stolen money, including some slapstick-style fighting. The intensity level remains comedic rather than realistic or disturbing.
Characters argue loudly, there are moments of physical struggle, and some scenes involve property damage or minor physical contact. No serious injuries are depicted, no weapons are used in threatening ways, and the overall tone keeps violent moments from becoming genuinely frightening. This aspect of the film would likely be acceptable for younger audiences than the language and sexual content allows. Some viewers may find certain situations stressful even in a comedic context. The premise involves financial desperation with genuine stakes””potential homelessness if the characters cannot pay rent””and scenes depicting their increasingly desperate attempts to raise money create tension despite the humor:.
- Physical comedy involving slapping, shoving, and struggling
- Loud arguments and verbal confrontations
- Property damage during comedic sequences
- Tense situations involving financial desperation
Positive Messages and Themes for Family Discussion
Despite its adult content, One of Them Days does contain positive themes that families who watch together might discuss afterward. The central relationship between Dreux and Alyssa celebrates female friendship as the most important bond in both women’s lives. When everything goes wrong, they support each other, work together, and ultimately emerge stronger. The film explicitly values this platonic friendship over romantic relationships with men who have proven unreliable. The narrative arc also touches on self-worth and recognizing toxic relationships.
Dreux must confront that she has tolerated poor treatment from her boyfriend and decide she deserves better. Alyssa helps her see her own value. These themes could spark meaningful conversations with older teenagers about relationship red flags and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who truly support you. Financial literacy appears as an implicit theme as well. The entire plot kicks off because characters trusted the wrong person with their rent money. While played for comedy, the scenario illustrates real consequences of poor financial boundaries and could prompt discussion about money management with young adults.
How to Prepare
- Watch the film yourself first if possible. Screening the movie alone allows assessment of whether specific content aligns with your family’s standards. The 97-minute runtime makes this feasible, and streaming availability means no additional cost for a preview viewing.
- Research specific content concerns using detailed parental guides. Sites like Common Sense Media, IMDb’s Parents Guide section, and dedicated review platforms provide scene-by-scene breakdowns that help identify specific moments of concern beyond general ratings information.
- Assess your teenager’s maturity level honestly. Consider not just their age but their exposure to similar content, their ability to process adult themes critically, and whether they can distinguish comedic exaggeration from realistic behavior modeling.
- Prepare discussion points in advance. Identify themes you want to address afterward, such as recognizing unhealthy relationships, the value of true friendship, or the difference between entertainment language and acceptable real-world communication.
- Set expectations before pressing play. Let teenagers know you will want to discuss the film afterward, which frames the viewing as shared experience rather than passive entertainment and encourages more thoughtful engagement with content.
How to Apply This
- Choose an appropriate viewing environment where conversation can happen naturally. Avoid watching in situations where discussion is impractical, and ensure siblings too young for the content are not present.
- Use the film’s content as teaching moments during viewing. Rather than ignoring uncomfortable scenes, brief comments like “that language is not acceptable in our house” reinforce standards while acknowledging what is happening on screen.
- Follow through with the promised post-viewing discussion. Ask open-ended questions about what teenagers thought of character decisions, relationship dynamics, and how they would handle similar situations.
- Connect film themes to real-life situations your teenager might face. The financial desperation, relationship problems, and friend dynamics in One of Them Days have parallels to young adult challenges that make concrete discussion points.
Expert Tips
- Consider your teenager’s peer group and social context. If most of their friends have seen the film, watching together and discussing it openly may be more valuable than prohibition, which often leads to unsupervised viewing without guidance.
- Use the buddy comedy format as an entry point for discussing friendship values. Ask which friend your teenager relates to more and why, and what they think makes Dreux and Alyssa’s friendship work despite their differences.
- Address the gap between comedy and reality directly. Explain that comedies exaggerate situations and behavior for humor, and that real-life consequences for similar choices would be more serious.
- Do not assume one conversation covers everything. Themes from films like One of Them Days may resurface in your teenager’s life, and revisiting discussion points when relevant reinforces lessons.
- Respect your teenager’s growing autonomy while maintaining boundaries. If you decide the film is not appropriate now, explain your reasoning rather than simply forbidding it, and indicate when or under what circumstances that might change.
Conclusion
The One of Them Days parents guide reveals a film with persistent adult content that earns its R rating primarily through pervasive strong language and sexual material. While the movie offers genuine entertainment value and positive messages about female friendship and self-worth, the content makes it unsuitable for children and requires careful consideration for teenagers. Parents who understand exactly what the film contains can make informed decisions rather than relying solely on marketing materials that emphasize the comedy over the mature content.
For families who decide to watch with older teenagers, the film presents opportunities for meaningful discussion about relationships, friendship, and personal values. The key is approaching the viewing intentionally rather than passively. By preparing in advance, setting expectations, and following through with conversation, parents can transform potentially problematic content into teachable moments. Those who determine the film is not appropriate for their household can feel confident in that decision, knowing precisely what content they are choosing to avoid rather than making assumptions based on genre or cast alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it typically take to see results?
Results vary depending on individual circumstances, but most people begin to see meaningful progress within 4-8 weeks of consistent effort.
Is this approach suitable for beginners?
Yes, this approach works well for beginners when implemented gradually. Starting with the fundamentals leads to better long-term results.
What are the most common mistakes to avoid?
The most common mistakes include rushing the process, skipping foundational steps, and failing to track progress.
How can I measure my progress effectively?
Set specific, measurable goals at the outset and track relevant metrics regularly. Keep a journal to document your journey.
