It’s not good critical practice to date a film review to a certain time and place. A film review should be evergreen, to exist outside of a specific setting or era. It should be able to grasp anyone, anywhere. But criticism is also subjective, and so it’s almost impossible to ignore the ways in which the silly L.A.-set comedy “One of Them Days” takes on new resonance in the wake of the devastating destruction wreaked by wildfires in Los Angeles this month.

It’s in the stunning aerial shots of palm tree-lined streets that make up L.A.’s distinct, sun-splashed grid. It’s in the themes about economic precarity for communities of color and the lack of affordable housing in the city. It’s in the fact that this movie (spoiler alert) culminates with a firefighter rescue! It’s almost too apt, even if some of the moments might hit too close to home for Angelenos right now.

But the universal is found in the specific, and those L.A. specifics are the strengths of “One of Them Days,” starting with the tilt down on the iconic sign of beloved diner Norm’s, where our protagonist, Dreux (Keke Palmer), is a star waitress, hoping to earn a crucial promotion to a managerial role. She’s got an interview later that day, after her night shift, from which her best friend and roommate Alyssa (singer SZA) picks her up. But her daytime rest is interrupted when Dreux discovers that Alyssa’s boyfriend Keshawn (Joshua David Neal) has failed to deliver their rent money and they’re about nine hours away from a threatened eviction.

Set in South Central Los Angeles over the course of day, with two friends doing everything to procure a meager but significant sum of money, “One of them Days” is a buddy comedy inspired by F. Gary Gray’s 1995 film “Friday,” starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker (Dreux even sports a blue plaid flannel much like Ice Cube’s Craig does). The script is the debut of writer Syreeta Singleton, who also worked on “Insecure,” and the film is directed by music video director Lawrence Lamont.

As much as the DNA of “Friday” runs through “One of Them Days,” so too does the influence of the HBO series “Insecure,” with Issa Rae serving as a producer on the film, and “Insecure” cinematographer Ava Berkofsky behind the camera. Berkofsky’s photography of “Insecure” captured this part of Los Angeles with sun-dappled beauty and authenticity, and so the setting, the female perspective, and the look all combine for “One of Them Days” to feel much like a raunchier version of the series.

Palmer, who has been acting since childhood and has established herself as both a personality and performer, can seemingly do anything on screen. “One of Them Days” gives her an opportunity to demonstrate her comedy chops but also deliver a well-rounded lead performance of a young woman struggling to achieve a modicum of upward mobility and tackling every obstacle that comes her way, from shady landlords to predatory lenders to bullies and gangsters and even gentrifiers. She doesn’t want to leave her crumbling apartment, in fact, she’s merely fighting to stay in it.

Dreux’s biggest obstacle is also one of her strengths: her space cadet artist roommate Alyssa, who’s simultaneously manifesting abundance while her synapses are scrambled by Keshawn’s pheromones. Alyssa is one of those friends who (unintentionally) makes every frustrating wrong decision, but also knows how to big her bestie up — no one gives better pep talks. In her film debut, SZA proves to be a charming screen presence and capable comedian; she and Palmer display winning chemistry together.

The entire supporting cast is terrific, from Maude Apatow as a clueless gentrifier who becomes their surprising salvation, to Keyla Monterroso Mejia as a gleefully unhinged payday loan lender. Katt Williams and Janelle James are also hilariously memorable in small roles, while Aziza Scott terrifyingly tears into her performance of the main antagonist, Bernice.

When the comedy is small and specific about culture, relationships and community, “One of Them Days” shines, but when it gets broad and big, the comedic tone struggles. Some elements are just too goofy and over the top, despite how game everyone is. But that wild comedy is indebted to “Friday,” and this is the gender-swapped version of that favorite film.

Thanks to Palmer’s talents and her chemistry with just about anyone, “One of Them Days” proves to be a fun, light comedy, threaded with real socioeconomic issues that are thrown into even starker relief thanks to current events. But we could all use a laugh right now, and a love letter to L.A., and “One of Them Days” delivers both.

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‘ONE OF THEM DAYS’

2.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: R (for language throughout, sexual material and brief drug use)

Running time: 1:37

How to watch: In theaters Jan. 17

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