Popping up with little hype on Netflix in July, this festival-appearing directorial debut quietly appeared on the streamer but has gained word-of-mouth traction every subsequent week. Like other recent Netflix original films, They Cloned Tyrone made few traditional marketing efforts outside of their usual partnerships, so you can forgive yourself if you only heard about this from that one movie-obsessed friend. Here’s why you should look this wild ride up now.
The Plot of They Cloned Tyrone
Something is amiss with Fontaine’s (John Boyega) average life in his old-school neighborhood, the Glen. When this brooding, self-serious drug dealer uncovers a bizarre conspiracy along with a charismatic pimp and one of his prostitutes, the trio can’t help themselves from further diving into secrets they could never fathom. With each layer of devious activity unveiled, these characters begin to call their entire existence into question.
Though the government cover-up angle is the driving element of the plot of They Cloned Tyrone, this alone might have barely scraped the surface in the conspiracy thriller genre. However, this Netflix-hosted movie made primarily by Black filmmakers has far greater appeal to a wider variety of viewers. With equal parts conspiratorial mystery, Black Mirror-like technologies, and near-constant humor, this film has something for every lover of adult-oriented movies.
They Cloned Tyrone’s Genre-Blending Insanity
They Cloned Tyrone
Experienced viewers will quickly pick up on the vintage ’70s look of the costumes and performances in They Cloned Tyrone. Co-writer/director Juel Taylor drew notable inspiration from Blaxploitation films of that era and calls back to the past by highlighting their investigation with lip service to Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. The mystery plotline is suitably complex, but not as much as it could have been to make way for some hilarious dialogue between the central cast members.
Fontaine’s associates, Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx) and Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris), wear their stereotypical roles with pride, riffing with quips straight out of Black Dynamite and opening conflicts you could guess on the first try. As the mystery gets more into science fiction territory, their unique reactions to the secret governmental inner workings feel organically over-the-top and comedic. For those looking for satire in its analysis of the Black experience, They Cloned Tyrone is effective with an ending that packs a harrowing punch.
Thanks to imperfect consistency in balancing its many facets, the fast-moving storyline of They Cloned Tyrone fills up two hours with some breathing room amid its genre interchanges. Trust us that the end product from start to finish is worth the extra runtime, resulting in an underrated, under-seen bout of humor, horror, and hijinks of a sinister variety. Without much in the way of critically acclaimed competition this year apart from tween animation flick Nimona, They Cloned Tyrone is easily your best bet for new Netflix movies streaming now.
They Cloned Tyrone is streaming now on Netflix.