Yahoo Movies Netflix's They Cloned Tyrone is a smart, breezy, sci-fi cult classic in the making
We're guessing you haven't heard the story about the drug dealer, the pimp and the sex worker who walked into a secret laboratory underneath their community and uncovered a conspiracy involving experimentation on Black people? No? Well, let director Juel Taylor fill you in with They Cloned Tyrone.
It's just another day in The Glen when we first meet Fontaine (John Boyega), who wakes up to begin his daily routine as the neighbourhood's drug dealer. He works out, plays a lotto scratch card, shares his drink with a local old man (who sees and hears everything) and makes sandwiches for his unseen mother (who never answers her bedroom door), before collecting money from his clients.
That is until he is gunned down by his rival Isaac (J Alphonse Nicholson) – only to wake up the next day as if nothing happened. However, things begin to go worse when Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx) and Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris) realise he should be dead, leading them to investigate a mysterious underground complex where a life-altering discovery awaits.
Juel Taylor's directorial debut is an impressive achievement that has all the hallmarks of a cult classic, a confident and audacious piece of storytelling. Filmed with the aesthetic of a 1970s Blaxploitation movie, it lovingly combines sci-fi, comedy, action and a Nancy Drew-esque conspiracy that would make The X-Files proud.
Yet it's a mistake to assume or suggest the movie revolves around this period. Its analogue production design (with all the big dials, buttons and beige decor) messes with the senses when the dialogue zips into the future with modern pop-culture references.
Its soundtrack, laced with funk music, creates a mood before changing tune for the sounds of Al B Sure, Diana Ross and Erykah Badu. The leading characters, meanwhile, may embody the look of "unworthy" Black caricatures, but they quickly evolve into the heroes the world needs.
On paper, these otherworldly tonal shifts between genres, influences and stereotypes may have been a cause for concern, but to give credit where it's due, Taylor maintains a consistently entertaining balance and pace.
With these quickfire homages under its belt, They Cloned Tyrone naturally prepares the audience for the wild swings it takes. Like all good mystery capers, half the fun is watching the Scooby-Doo antics the trio get up to and the surprises unearthed. With plenty of hints along the way (great for rewatch value), it becomes a multilayered examination in how Black culture is consumed and also weaponised.
Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier's script operates in the same sphere as Scott Sanders' Black Dynamite or Boots Riley's Sorry to Bother You, both socially conscious movies born out of the fabric of real-life injustices faced by the Black community.
Here, the prominent real-life inspirations are the Tuskegee experiments between 1932-1972 (where Black men with syphilis were deliberately left untreated without being told) and President Richard Nixon's 'War on Drugs' campaign, a disruptive initiative and tactic used to criminalise Black people.
By design, the movie ebbs and flows between these markers, where everything is under the microscope. Drugs, music, fried chicken and "straighter is greater" female hair products (a play on how Black women are made to feel insecure about their image) are tools for control by The Man.
The beauty is in how it finds the satirical edge to deliver those messages without losing the significance or poignancy of its commentary. Even when there's an occasional whiff of predictability, the script finds another gear of inventiveness to further elevate the narrative.
Where the movie excels is the undeniable chemistry between Boyega, Parris and Foxx. Individually, they're always finding sincerity amongst the humour, which allows their characters to grow beyond their assigned archetypes with nuance and depth as human beings. Collectively, they are exceptional, marking a refreshing and needed change for the sci-fi genre to see Black characters as leads.
Boyega delivers a transformative performance, illustrating once again the talent and range he possesses, while Parris is also delightful as the glue and smarts behind the investigation.
Relishing the assignment, though, Jamie Foxx steals the show. Whenever crazy stuff appears, he delivers an epic one-liner in the way only Jamie Foxx can. Want him singing a remix of Mary J Blige's 'I'm Goin' Down' as Tyrone and Yo-Yo investigate a mysterious elevator below The Glen? This movie has got you.
With a stellar cast, They Cloned Tyrone is a one-of-a-kind adventure that delivers on fun, entertainment and hilarity. In an industry that has thrown its weight behind IP, this is a great reminder of the power of an original idea. More of this, please.
They Cloned Tyrone is available to watch now on Netflix.
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