A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy.
Director: Juel Taylor
Cast: John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, Jamie Foxx, David Alan Grier, Kiefer Sutherland
Release Date: July 14, 2023
Genre: Action, Comedy, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rated R for pervasive language, violence, some sexual material and drug use
Runtime: 2h 2m
Juel Taylor's directorial debut is a surprisingly funny and effective amalgam of some tried and true sci-fi tropes paired with an old school blaxploitation feel. Its gritty look and feel immediately echo those 70s films as it starts out as a fairly straight forward urban crime drama before it reveals something more insidious lurking underneath. John Boyega plays the titular drug dealer with a steely hardened facade with hints of emotional depth scattered throughout his journey. He's the straight man to Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris bigger more cartoonish roles which makes for a fun dynamic once the trio start their investigation into craziness of their situation. Foxx is in rare form here as he unleashes his comedic talents onscreen with the sort of unrestrained energy were his trademark of his early career. Parris is having just as much fun as the Nancy Drew loving, soon to be retired proustite. Their Motley Scooby Doo crew make the film work far better than it should since the reveals are fairly predictable. That's not to say the script doesn't have a lot to say, it does, but the messaging gets a bit jumbled in its messy final act which borrows bits from Black Dynamite, Dark City and Westworld. While it doesn't stick the landing, They Clone Tyrone does so much right that you can't help but appreciate this initial effort from Taylor and his cast, enough to make the tease at the end all the more intriguing.
B
