They Cloned Tyrone (2023)

They Cloned Tyrone is a Netflix science fiction film that touches on racial tensions in the united states.

The writer from Creed II and Space Jam: A New Legacy comes to Netflix to try and direct. I could see how they could have faith. It's not his first time directing but it's his first time directing anything worth seeing. Solid job for Juel Taylor, as directing for the first time could spell trouble.

He and Tony Rettenmaier wrote the screenplay. Their writing has come a long way from when they co-wrote Space Jam: A New Legacy. There is a delicate balance when writing about race in America as too harsh one way or the other and you'll alienate the other side. They write it from the perspective of black Americans in black-dominated democratic-run suburbs. Each role is a caricature of their role as The Pimp, The Hoe, and The Thug.

Jamie Foxx plays the pimp and an overdramatized late twentieth century. I tried to think who else in Hollywood could have played this role and couldn't come up with anyone off the top of my head. Fox just has the comedic timing he solidified when he was on In Living Color, though I knew him from The Jamie Foxx Show growing up.

Teyonah Parris plays the hoe named Yo-Yo. She is one of my favorite upcoming actresses in general as she has some good movies under her belt and just one stinker in a short amount of time. Candyman wasn't a hit for me, while her performances in If Beale Street Could Talk, WandaVision, and Chi-Raq solidified her in my eyes. She's now someone I'll go see a movie just because she was in it. Hopefully, she makes The Marvels a decent if not good movie. We'll find out later this year.

John Boyega isn't a likable person outside of his movies but he does great here. He was good in The Force Awakens and The Woman King. He could have used better direction and coaching with The Last Jedi, Rise of Skywalker, and Detroit. Pacific Rim: Uprising was just okay for his performance and I have a soft spot for that film. I'll need to see Attack the Block before number two comes out, but I'm not too excited.

We now live in a world where Blue Beetle and The Last Yoage of the Demeter are released in theaters despite all their flaws and this just releases on Netflix. The film is good, solid B.

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