A fun, fresh fusion of genres that’s absolutely dripping with style; They Cloned Tyrone is a truly impressive debut from director Juel Taylor thanks to a gripping premise and brilliant visuals, not to mention the unmistakable chemistry between the film’s trio of stars. However, it is unfortunately held back by a script that fails to capitalise on the foundations of its story, as well as overlooking the potential for a little more depth in its characters, but in spite of its flaws, its successes have nevertheless triumphed, making the Netflix original a fast favourite for me amongst this year’s new releases.

Being born about four decades too late for it, I can’t say that I’ve seen all that many Blaxploitation films from their heyday, but I’m more than familiar with the genre and all its trimmings due to its popularity in academia. That said, I do have a soft spot for contemporary takes on the genre, most notably those that blatantly parody the earlier films such as Undercover Brother and Black Dynamite, so when They Cloned Tyrone first came onto my radar I was intrigued at the prospect of a science-fiction Blaxploitation comedy, even if I did temper my expectations given the way that the current socio-political climate has so virulently infested entertainment these days. Nevertheless, I remained in anticipation leading up to the film’s release thanks to a very fun trailer, and even if I unfortunately couldn’t go to see it during its limited theatrical release, after dropping on Netflix today you best believe I was ready to get stuck in.

Spoilers ahead!

Things are off to a good start with They Cloned Tyrone‘s opening, as we meet the first and most important of the film’s three protagonists, drug dealer Fontaine (John Boyega), as he goes about his daily routine in the fictional suburb of The Glen. After collecting on a debt from local pimp Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx), Fontaine is shot dead by a rival dealer, and the mystery kicks off as he wakes up the next day and retreads his routine – much to the shock of Slick Charles when Fontaine arrives to collect his debt once again. Chasing down leads on kidnappings in the neighbourhood brings the duo, now accompanied by one of Slick Charles’ prostitutes Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris), to a trap house acting as a cover for an underground laboratory, where they discover the dead Fontaine from the opening, as well as further clues to the nefarious experiments taking place in their community. After the laboratory seemingly disappears, the trio follow the trail of clues around The Glen that humorously plays into stereotypes of African-American culture as they discover that fried chicken, grape soda, perm cream and gospel church sermons (amongst other things) are being used as delivery mechanisms for mind control, and our heroes discover just how sinister these schemes are after infiltrating an even larger laboratory beneath their neighbourhood. Being both irreverently fun and satisfyingly engaging; the first half of They Cloned Tyrone‘s story is undeniably the peak of the film as you try and piece together the mystery behind the plot between relentless bouts of laughter.

It’s a shame that it starts to go downhill from here – after escaping the lab complex, the trio are surrounded by a horde of mind controlled Glen residents before being confronted by a government agent and a subservient clone of Fontaine called Chester, and it’s revealed that the experiments are for the purposes of developing mind control techniques that will eventually be deployed nationwide to ensure peace and complacency across the populace, and The Glen is being used as a test environment due to its position as an impoverished, predominantly black neighbourhood; allowing the testing to go unnoticed. It’s a fairly obvious reference to the real-world example of the CIA flooding low-income neighbourhoods with crack cocaine during the War On Drugs, but it also nicely lines up with the stylistic choice to emulate Blaxploitation movies to give the story a thematic undertone about the exploitation of black communities. I would’ve been quite happy to leave it there, but in the midst of the conclusion, the script dumps on you the revelation that the mastermind behind the experiments is an elderly Fontaine, and the real purpose behind all of this is to transform everyone in the world into one homogenous race to end racism. It’s a ridiculous last-minute twist that undercuts the rest of the mystery, and it came laden with some pretty eye-roll-inducing rhetoric that felt out of place in the otherwise tame politics of the story thus far. Nevertheless, the ending is otherwise fine, if not a little predictable, but it certainly closes on a fun note as it’s revealed that the experiments have been taking place nationwide as we finally meet the titular Tyrone – another Fontaine clone living in Los Angeles.

While the mystery is the main driver behind They Cloned Tyrone‘s plot, it does place a lot of importance on its three protagonists too – even if they don’t always rise to meet your expectations. Take Fontaine for example – driven, strong and serious; his stakes in uncovering the truth are entirely personal as his life comes crashing down around him, including the shocking revelation that his bedridden, shut-in mother is nothing more than a tape recorder in an empty room. However, it’s a relatively pointless twist, given that there’s little tangible reasoning behind it, and the same goes for the drummed-up importance of Fontaine and all the variations of his character across the story, and it’s also worth pointing out that his transition to a hero for his neighbourhood feels similarly baseless. Slick Charles almost entirely lacks any sort of deeper characterisation in favour of standing as the movie’s comic relief, but by God does it work, with the character proving to be relentlessly hilarious from start to finish thanks to snappy dialogue and an excellent performance on the part of Jamie Foxx; making him effortlessly memorable in spite of having very little substance to offer. Teyonah Parris’ Yo-Yo sits somewhere between the two men – being both an integral part of the plot and a consistent source of banter – but despite that outward endearment, the story fails to utilise the most interesting aspect of her character (being that she is the only one of the trio who isn’t a clone) effectively. Nevertheless, despite what they might lack in depth, you’re sure to warm to the heroes of the film thanks to the immeasurable chemistry between the three and their clashing personas; proving to be the source of the film’s best comedic moments.

The popping colours and striking neon-lit visuals of They Cloned Tyrone were one of the first things that drew me into its orbit, and they certainly don’t disappoint – the film is vibrant and brilliantly shot throughout in a way comparable to the likes of Stranger Things; clearly taking inspiration from sci-fi and horror movies of the late 70s and early 80s. As such, creeping swirls of smoke and blazing neon lights characterise the film’s most visually adept sequences, and some fantastic set design for the government labs teeters on the border between goofy and eerie; perfectly encapsulating the tone of the film’s story. Similarly, every setpiece strikes a careful balance between the two underlying inspirations for the story, despite the innate likelihood for sci-fi horror and Blaxploitation comedy to clash with one another, but it succeeds time and time again giving the film an exceptional sense of style. Between the flashy costumes, aged set dressings and the funky soundtrack, the movie also delivers a decidedly retro aesthetic, complete with an artificial film grain just to hammer it home. Although I am aware that it was an intentional disparity meant to assert how underprivileged communities are “frozen in time” due to a lack of resources necessary for development, the fact that the film is actually supposed to be set in the modern day just feels confusing and unnecessary, especially given that it has no bearing on the plot. Still, for a directorial debut on the part of They Cloned Tyrone‘s creator Juel Taylor, it certainly feels like an impressive accomplishment to give it such a distinct visual flavour amongst an already satisfactory display of filmmaking talent that leans heavily into the film’s sense of unease and paranoia.

There really is an immense level of talent that can be found across They Cloned Tyrone, which is all the more admirable considering it’s the first feature film outing for its creator, and I think in a meta sense it’s nice to see something like this spring up out of nowhere and prove to be so enjoyable. It may have its flaws when it comes down to the writing, but they rarely undercut those aspects of the story that are enjoyable, and I think it keeps things simple enough that you can enjoy it regardless – and the heaps of style it brings to the table certainly helps too. It’s certainly one of the most unique and well-executed projects I’ve seen come out this year, and although I might not be giving it a particularly noteworthy rating, it’s undeniably amongst my top three new film releases thus far in 2023, and I’d absolutely recommend giving it a shot if you’re in the market for something fresh.

7/10