‘They Cloned Tyrone’ Gives Jamie Foxx the Win He Needs
It is merely a coincidence that Jamie Foxx stars in They Cloned Tyrone, a new film that challenges our belief in outlandish machinations about the rich and powerful, while also being the subject of absurd conspiracy theories regarding his hospitalization in April. But after watching the film, which streams on Netflix July 21, it seems almost like a premeditated middle finger to the skeptics. Foxx’s slick, wildly entertaining performance in a movie that directly deals with the same type of conspiracy theories is the best revenge toward all of the keyboard warriors who have spent the last four months speculating about his health. Though the film was completed before his hospitalization, the fortuitous timing of They Cloned Tyrone’s release gives Foxx the last laugh without ever having to say a word about it.
The film itself is a delightfully wild romp, a win for Foxx when he needs it most (I’m talking about his terrible vampire Netflix movie, not his illness). Foxx plays Slick Charles, a stereotypical pimp character left over from Blaxploitation’s raucous heyday. Slick has a squeak in both his voice and his leather shoes, a perfect comedic complement to fired-up Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris), one of Slick’s girls, and stone-faced Fontaine (John Boyega), a drug dealer caught up in an impending turf war.
Together, the trio inadvertently stumbles upon a government project happening right underneath their noses. They must then set aside their archetypal differences to save each other’s lives. They Cloned Tyrone is the feature-length debut from director and co-writer Juel Taylor, yet it comes across like that of a seasoned directing vet. Taylor crafts a tense, timely mystery that’s brimming with atmosphere, wildly smart, and packed with laughs at every single turn—an instant entry into the modern canon of incisive Black science fiction.