They Cloned Tyrone

I have to imagine that as the Barbenheimer phenomenon took shape over the past few months, studios began viewing that weekend as one for dumping movies in which they lacked confidence. All the oxygen was sucked out of the room by the one two punch of Barbie and Oppenheimer, leaving anything else out in the cold. Perhaps that’s why there were half a dozen limited releases, as a poor showing there could easily go unnoticed, especially if they find their footing once they go wide or land on streaming. The only new release to go up against them was They Cloned Tyrone on Netflix, which wasn’t a good sign. But I was intrigued by the premise, so after seeing a friend’s praise, I dove in.

I really didn’t know what to expect. I’m not even certain I actually saw the trailer, as the only thing I was prepared for was that it involved cloning. The way in which it factored in, the general structure of the plot, the star power involved, the aesthetic, the creativity, all were a pleasant surprise.

Fontaine (John Boyega) is drug dealer in The Glen, a Black neighborhood in an unspecified city. After a confrontation results in him getting shot multiple times, he’s shocked to wake up with no injuries, and writes it off as a dream. That is, until he encounters pimp Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx), who insists he saw Fontaine’s mutilated body the night before. With the help of a sex worker named Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris), they follow the bread crumbs to uncover evidence of a conspiracy which seeks to placate the citizens of The Glen. But why? And by who? And what does cloning have to do with it?

Because interestingly, the cloning is revealed early, and is basically what kicks the plot into high gear. From there, it’s a lot of traveling from place to place, following the trail of clues and revealing new ones. We of course knew it would play into the plot, because of, ya know, the title. But I expected it would be the hook, or some sort of reveal. Instead, the cloning is by far the most mundane part of the story.

A lot of where we’re going is effectively but not obviously foreshadowed, so although you may have a rough idea where that is, I’d wager you won’t precisely call it. You know that Ronnie will play into it, you know the nonsense spewed by Frog (Leon Lamar) is likely important, and you know the black van Fontaine sees after he “dies” is the key. But how it all slots together is only clear in retrospect (at least for me). In hindsight, the movie lit the way with neon, but slowly introduced each bit of insanity so you were like a frog in a boiling pot.

The vibe is instantly a unique pastiche of comedy, sci-fi, social satire, conspiracy, neon-noir, and mystery. The world is intensely tongue in cheek and silly, while also carefully laying the groundwork for what’s to come, both in tone and in plot. The characters are very distinct, and all played with a palpable energy by Boyega, Foxx, and Parris. And despite the fact that they feel like they jumped out of different movies, they all feel right at home in The Glen.

However, there is a point at which that mixture of styles starts to drag it down. It works up top, as we’re establishing the story beats. But as we settle into the actual plot, that manic energy and pace keeps its poignancy at a distance, preventing us from taking it seriously despite the real world parallels it clearly has on its mind. It’s most notably calling to the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, but also invoking the allegations the CIA was involved in spreading the use of crack in Black neighborhoods. There are even more direct usages of assimilation and systemic racism and “Black-on-Black crime” and police violence. We’re moving at a pretty quick clip, so all this has a hard time sinking in, even as it utilizes the racial tensions and racism in the modern day US, and the tendency for members of minority groups to have a healthy, warranted skepticism of government.

And as the layers of the mystery start to peel back even more, the plot complexifies, and not always in a way that lands. Don’t get me wrong, it absolutely makes sense. It just doesn’t resonate the way it seems they want it to. Again, it’s a victim of the movie not taking itself at all seriously for much of the runtime. I have to wonder if they slowed things down a bit more at the start if these revelations would have worked.

Still, its unique and interesting enough to be worthwhile. It has plenty to say, and some great lead performances, along with some interesting supporting characters. It’s a throwback to cheesy sci-fi with a Blaxploitation edge, and the film grain to match, albeit with a spruced up color palette. This won’t knock your socks off, but it’s unlikely to bore you. Plus, with a title as perfect as They Cloned Tyrone, how can you resist?