They Cloned Tyrone is a science fiction action comedy film, released on Netflix on July 21, 2023. It is directed by Juel Taylor and co-written by Tony Rettenmaier. With a runtime of about 2 hours, the cinematography is done by Ken Seng.
The cast of the film includes John Boyega as Fontaine, Teyonah Parris as Yo-Yo, Jamie Foxx as Slick Charles, David Alan Grier, Kiefer Sutherland, J. Alphonse Nicholson as Issac, Tamberla Perry as Biddy, Eric Robinson Jr. as Big Moss and several others.
They Cloned Tyrone Review
The story follows Fontaine, a drug dealer, Yo-yo (a prostitute wanting to build a new life), and Slick Charles (a pimp), as they accidentally step into a well-fetched conspiracy that controls their whole town. Fontaine is essentially a gangster but with a soft spot for his loved ones and a strict ethic about working boundaries. When he goes out to collect his due money from Slick, he is shot dead by a rival gangster named Isaac.
However, we find Fontaine totally fine, the next day, going about his day as usual – buying liquor from the store, scratching a lottery ticket and giving some alcohol to the old homeless man. But when he goes back to Slick’s to get his money, he gets to know that there’s no way he should be alive right now and he has been here before. From then on he decides to unravel the mystery with the people who saw him before getting shot – Slick and Yo-yo.
What they didn’t expect it to be some government-run lab that is using their town as their playground to run experiments. From chicken to hair products, everything is altered with a chemical that helps in controlling their minds. And the biggest surprise of them all is that some of the people could actually be clones, as their original selves died in one way or another. The town is like a created ecosystem, where each person has a part to play and if they get into trouble, their clone can take the place. And the same thing has happened to Fontaine.
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The majority of the film is driven by dialogues, as they reference various pop culture references from Spongebob to Hollowman, Nancy Drew and other popular film examples. The action makes up the last 20 minutes. Throughout the two hours, one question remains unanswered – who is even Tyrone and where is he? Even towards the end, you start thinking if you missed something but the answer is shown in the last few minutes at the end and will make you laugh with its absurdity.
Through the absurd comedy, the story highlights various issues that the African American community faces in real time. Being accused of crimes they never did to the lack of opportunities that urge them to resort to other ways and trying to fit in by losing one’s identity are some of the subjects that are integrated into the character’s storyline. Like Yo-yo is initially shown as the prostitute who talks about moving someplace else and starting a new life but goes back to what she knows.
A contrast in her character reflects when she is seen in her room and the accolades fill all the walls – showing how lack of opportunity and money pushed her in the other direction. But what’s the best thing about her character is that she is badass and owns up to her decisions, instead of feeling pity. Even when Fontaine gives up on pulling the lid off the organisation, she keeps on investigating to bring out the truth.
Overall, it’s an entertaining comedy that keeps the mysterious elements alive, which has become quite rare nowadays. Along with John Boyega, Jamie Foxx brings in the fun character and you might find some references or easter eggs while keeping a close look at his dialogues. While it’s a satisfactory ending, it also leaves a space for personal interpretation and a ‘what if’ factor that can be explored in further instalments.
Rating: 4/5
They Cloned Tyrone is currently streaming on Netflix.
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