They Cloned Tyrone (2023, R)

*Premise spoilers.*

This is a wild movie, I loved it! This 21^st century spin on blaxploitation films offers up a roller coaster of a plot that combines comedy, action, and social commentary. With a terrific cast and cool production design, it makes for an excellent ride.

Fontaine’s life seems to exist in an endless cycle. Drug-dealing, short jaunts to “send a message,” scratch-off tickets that never go his way. It’s not until he’s killed by a rival dealer and then wakes up in his bed that he realizes just how endless that cycle is. Freaked out by what’s going on, Fontaine teams up with Yo-Yo, a clever sex worker, and Slick Charles, an intrepid pimp, to figure out what’s happening in their hood.

The movie traffics in stereotypes, complete with malt liquor and fried chicken, but it’s very intentional in how it employs them. It takes real things to larger-than-life proportions and comments on them, and it takes “pigeonholed” character archetypes and makes them feel like people within their stylized trappings. I love watching Fontaine’s reactions as the trio investigate the unfolding conspiracy and he realizes the implications it has on his life, and I love the way the film teases out Yo-Yo’s disappointed ambitions and dreams.

As for the wild sci-fi elements, some parts of the story go in directions I was expecting, while other twists hit me out of left field. The film does a nice job giving us a conspiracy that’s both grounded and bonkers, and the smart production design gives it an incredulous yet plausible air, all wrapped in an almost timeless setting that evokes the old blaxploitation films it’s sending up while still feeling immediate and relevant.

I won’t say too much about the details of the conspiracy, since it gets into spoiler territory and it’s best to experience this story as it’s unfolding. But I really like what it has to say about Black communities, oppression, and the “hood archetypes” that seem ever-present in the national consciousness.

John Boyega is excellent as Fontaine. He knows how to be hard, a necessity of his work, but that hardness is often a front to cover his fear, frustration, and vulnerability, and I love watching him navigate the twists of the story. I love Teyonah Parris as Yo-Yo—I first saw Parris as Lysistrata in Chi-Raq, but of course she’s a Marvel hero now, playing Monica Rambeau in the MCU! She brings so much heart, humor, and spark to the role, popping every time she’s onscreen. Finally, Jamie Foxx is a hoot as Slick Charles, but he also knows just when to dial down the shtick and get honest. Great performances all around, and the main trio play off each other wonderfully well.

Warnings

Violence, sexual content, language (including the N-word and sexist insults,) drinking/smoking/drug use, and strong thematic elements.