John Boyega slays in They Cloned Tyrone, one of Netflix’s biggest surprises

Hold me in if you’ve heard this before: a pimp, a drug dealer and a prostitute walk into a trap and discover a clandestine government clone facility. That’s the elevator pitch for They cloned TyroneNetflix’s new sci-fi comedy thriller starring John Boyega, Jamie Foxx, and Teyonah Parris.

Directed by Juel Taylor, known for his work as a writer for Creed II And Space Jam: A New Legacy, They cloned Tyrone is Blaxploitation-y genre mashup that lands right between Jordan Peele’s surreal doppelgänger-laden menace Us and Boots Riley’s sharp political satire sorry to bother you. The result is one of the funniest, most exciting and most surprising films to come out this year.

The film revolves around Fontaine (Boyega), a steel-eyed drug dealer who lives in the Glen, a predominantly black neighborhood that has seen better days. Haunted by the loss of his little brother and seemingly estranged from his mother, Fontaine spends his days trying to make ends meet, shrugging off customers and battling would-be rival dealers seeking to encroach on his territory. Then he is ambushed and killed. What would be the end of any other movie is just the beginning: Fontaine wakes up the next morning in a cold sweat, miraculously unharmed and seemingly with no memory of the altercation.

With the help of smooth talker Slick Charles (Foxx) and Yo-Yo (Parris), a sex worker who dreams of escaping the Glen in search of a higher calling, Fontaine sets out to find answers. What he uncovers is a sinister conspiracy that seems to have turned his entire neighborhood into a testing ground for cruel experimentation.

Taylor has described They clone Tyrone like a movie with the spirit of a bootleg Scooby-Doo adventure, in which a ragtag band of otherwise ill-equipped sleuths somehow manage to pull back the curtain on a terrifying mystery through their own curious form of teamwork. Well, he did well; an existential mystery-thriller that oscillates between the farcical and the macabre, Taylor’s film is not just a contemplation on the legacy of gentrification and the exploitation of minorities, but a poignant and darkly funny meditation on the power of one’s own choice and the need for cooperation in the face of oppression. It’s a real surprise for a Netflix Original, thanks in no small part to the infectious chemistry of the film’s leading trio.

Photo: Parrish Lewis/Netflix

Jamie Foxx steals the show in almost every scene where he plays with a flamboyant personality and an uncanny knack for getting himself in and out of trouble. Teyonah Parris is the heart and conscience of They cloned Tyrone, a strong-willed woman with an eclectic array of talents and interests that make her the perfect person to put all the puzzle pieces together and get her compatriots into action. And, of course, there’s John Boyega, who delivers a concise yet versatile performance through the tumultuous emotional arc of Fontaine’s personal search for the truth.

There are also a few other notable guest appearances, but They clone Tyrone is at its strongest when it plays off the dynamics of Boyega, Foxx and Parris. The balance of these personalities clashing and complementing each other, with Charles and Yo-Yo bickering constantly while Fontaine quietly boils with frustration and confusion over the whole situation, is truly hilarious to watch. The writing from Taylor and co-writer Tony Rettenmaier is great on its own, but when animated by the cast’s performances, it sings positively.

Photo: April Olivia Ewell/Netflix

One of the most memorable exchanges in the film is a conversation between Fontaine and Slick Charles, who, after being confronted by one of the masterminds behind the experiment and sworn to secrecy at gunpoint, ponder whether their experiences or choices were real in the beginning. “I’ve never had a little brother,” Fontaine tells Charles. “I still love them though.” It’s that statement that spurs the pair to choose their own path and work with Yo-Yo to expose the government’s deceit for the good of everyone living in the Glen.

They cloned Tyrone is a lot of things: funny, thrilling, subversively satirical, disarmingly gripping, and most of all, great to watch, especially in the film’s final act. As a whole, the film represents exactly the kind of witty and original storytelling that streaming services, especially Netflix, could do more of and a surprising contender for one of the best of the year. Like Peele and Riley, Juel Taylor comes across as a director with a keen interest and understanding of social issues, and a knack for weaving said subjects into genre dishes that are as edifying as they are enjoyable. It is a film with heart, humor and soul that, although reminiscent of the work of other filmmakers, is far from being a clone of its predecessors, but rather something completely unique.

They cloned Tyrone is now available to stream on Netflix.