They Cloned Tyrone

No one could accuse Netflix's latest high profile original offering They Cloned Tyrone of being a film short of ideas with up and coming director Juel Taylor jamming his genre mash-up with a plethora of elements worth exploring as John Boyega's drug dealer Fontaine, Jamie Foxx's sharp talking local pimp Slick Charles and Teyonah Parri's call girl Yo-Yo team up to uncover some Scooby Doo like mysteries that are affecting their fictional neighbourhood known as the Glen.

Set in a 70's feeling futuristic setting done by the way of a classic exploitation flick from yesteryear, Tyrone has swagger to spare and Taylor's energetic and colourful direction is the type of creative vibrancy that is too often lacking in Netflix's other original offerings that leave much too be desired but despite fun being had from such an out there narrative that flirts the line between drama, thriller, sci-fi, social commentary piece and oddball comedy, Tyrone lacks a certain ingredient that could've made it an instant classic.

Sprung to life by three noteworthy lead performances, with Boyega once more proving he is a lot more than a force sensitive storm trooper, Tyrone seemingly has all the usual elements one would associate with a feature film of note but there's a curious inability for Taylor to connect us in a meaningful way to our central trio and while it feels counter-intuitive to accuse a feature of having too many original ideas, Tyrone's many various components and narrative turns don't always hit the way in which you would hope for, even if it's a constantly sleek and impressively constructed film in so many ways.

One of those modern features that one suspects may have benefited from being fleshed out in a mini-series rather than a two hour feature film, Tyrone is constantly on the move and never far away from taking us down a surprisingly unexpected route and with that it will alienate a large chunk of viewers who will feel as though they are being flung from plot development to plot development with little time or pause between breaths to ponder what has come before or what is now ahead.

Problematic and under-explored narrative developments aside, Tyrone still provides a fresh and often very fun viewing experience, one that will have even the most seasoned of film fans unsure of what's coming their way next and its ability to bring its wild vision to life in such a vibrant way should be commended, making this one of those rare Netflix originals that justifies ones time spent with it.

Final Say -

A future cult classic in waiting, They Cloned Tyrone might not always work but thanks to impressive craft work and trio of energetic performances, Netflix's latest original release remains a lot of fun.

3 1/2 church sermons out of 5.

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

They Cloned Tyrone is one of the best movies I've seen in awhile. They filled up those two hours with so much fun, comedy, drama, suspense and action! This movie Felt like a great mashup of Black Dynamite and Us.

I thought the cinematography was on point, it wasnt the typical normal settings on a camera. It looks like they put some thought to it being that it was like a sci fi horror flick, I think that the grainy hazy dark filters capture that mood.

The social commentary was hilarious and tragic at the same time, but never felt ham-fisted or overbearing. Exposed some real life issues.

I think this film was executed well and the plot never felt force. Definitely worth watching.

Off the bat I was interested in this movie from the title alone. This movie was reminiscent of Undercover Brother, Black Dynamite, and especially Sorry To Bother You.

You can gather what the movie is about just from the title, but the story leading to everything is a fun ride. John, Jamie and Teyonah individually did a great job playing their characters. All providing something different to their unique, mystery solving trio team.

The elements of this movie were great too. Combining the eeriness with fantasy and bits of comedy. At times it almost had an 80's sci-fi feel to it too, where I would question what year it was even though it was modern day.

Overall, this movie was fun. I enjoyed it from start to finish. Again, if you're a fan of Undercover Brother, Black Dynamite or Sorry To Bother You, then you should check this movie out.

Fontaine (John Boyega) is a drug pusher working out of the black neighborhood known as The Glen. During his rounds of collecting money, he faces pimp Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx) who tells Fontaine he was killed last night with his story corroborated by soon to be retired prostitute Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris). As Fontaine searches for answers with Charles and Yo-Yo reluctantly in tow, the three unearth a vast conspiracy with Fontaine's inexplicable reappearance only the tip of the iceberg.

They Cloned Tyrone is the newest film from Netflix and sees the streamer reteam with star Jamie Foxx having previously collaborated with him on Day Shift and Project Power. The film marks the feature directorial debut of Juel Taylor whose script co-written by Tony Rettenmainer was featured on the 2019 Black List of best unproduced screenplays and was acquired by Netflix for their streaming service. The movie has received critical acclaim and rightfully so because They Cloned Tyrone is an engaging sit featuring an unexpected mash-up of unique elements that collect together into a mostly satisfying whole.

What makes the film so engaging from the outset is definitely our three leads played by John Boyega, Jamie Foxx, and Teyonah Parris who are so good dramatically and comedically in the first 20 minutes that they could've served as full characters for a straight drama if the movie were so inclined. Once we get the shift into high concept with Fontaine getting shot, the movie creates a fantastic hook with a really unique mystery that I can't go into full detail without spoiling. The filmmakers have cited films like They Live and Groundhog Day as influences upon the film and you can definitely see that from the mixture of social satire and genre thrills that does match the approach of They Live while also containing similar character dives like Groundhog Day. We also have a bit of a Cabin in the Woods type scenario with They Cloned Tyrone very much being a deconstruction of blaxsploitation in the same way that film was to horror films. The movie delivers some really exciting and thrilling moments, but I did feel like the film maybe began to stall a little in the third act where it felt like it lost momentum as well as that balance of humor and social satire. While the third act is still very enjoyable especially in regards to the climax, I did feel like the movie maybe revealed a major cameo a little sooner than it should've and made the momentum slightly less smooth.

They Cloned Tyrone is a fantastic debut film for Juel Taylor and with a clever script and a likable set of characters played by strong performances this is definitely one to see. I did feel like the film might've peaked a little too early with the third act losing the sharpness we saw earlier in the runtime, but this is still a movie that deserves your time and attention.

Whoever thought to pair John Boyega with Jamie Foxx is brilliant. Pure genius. Teyonah Paris in the third spot of the badass trio drug dealer, pimp, prostitute just brings it all together flawlessly.

Part sci-fi, part mystery, part action, and part comedy, "They Cloned Tyrone" is a perfect combination of mixed genres, intriguing plot, smart dialogues, and best of all believable chemistry among its actors.

The movie takes us down a rabbit hole of hilarious conspiracy and fantasy that not only African-Americans would appreciate. But to truly enjoy the shenanigans you have to have some understanding of Black American history.

And that's really the only downside of the movie - it's not made for an international audience that is unlikely to know the racial history of the U. S., the medical experiments done on minorities, the policies that kept people poor, etc.

That knowledge by the audience is an essential ingredient to get the most out of the movie.

Nevertheless, I think the general viewer can still enjoy "They Cloned Tyrone."