They Cloned Tyrone
Netflix | Release Date (Streaming): July 14, 2023 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
74
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews
Positive:
22
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Time OutWhelan BarzeyJul 21, 2023
Far from a clone of its Blaxploitation predecessors, Taylor’s exhilarating debut taps into the conspiracy theorist within us all. Read full review
90
PolygonToussaint EganJul 28, 2023
An existential mystery-thriller that vacillates between the farcical and the macabre, Taylor’s film isn’t just a rumination on the legacy of gentrification and the exploitation of minorities, but a poignant and darkly funny meditation on the power of one’s own choices and the necessity of cooperation in the face of oppression. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperJul 17, 2023
This is a film that has much to say about the systematic oppression of marginalized and exploited classes, and the powers that be who will go to extreme measures to make sure the more things change, the more things stay the same. Also, it’s funny as hell. Read full review
83
IndieWireChristian ZilkoJul 14, 2023
The winning cast allows Taylor to exploit the formula that the Coen brothers have made careers out of: watching lovable dimwits investigate a mystery that they’re completely unqualified to solve is always a blast. Read full review
80
The Daily BeastColeman SpildeJul 24, 2023
Juel 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. Read full review
80
Rolling StoneDavid FearJul 21, 2023
It could be tighter, tenser, a little sharper with its satire. Yet there are enough big, better-than-decent movie moments, from shoot-outs to impromptu elevator sing-alongs, that not even a small screen can dilute. That’s entertainment! Read full review
80
The Irish TimesTara BradyJul 21, 2023
Beneath the zany antics and pastiche aesthetics – Ken Seng’s cinematography knows all the fly moves – the satire has plenty of bite. Read full review
80
The IndependentClarisse LoughreyJul 21, 2023
This is a story, ultimately, that drives home the idea that solidarity can exist even when there’s no sense of community – and particularly when that community has been systematically dismantled by the powers that be. Read full review
80
The New York TimesRobert DanielsJul 20, 2023
Even when the dialogue runs long and the film’s frights offer less terror than you’d want in a sci-fi-mystery flick, an inspired Foxx, a subversive Parris, and a ruthless yet melancholic Boyega, who shoulders the bulk of the dramatic weight, retrofit common stereotypes of urban Black life into the rich, dynamic humanism of its reality. Read full review
80
Screen RantNadir SamaraJul 14, 2023
They Cloned Tyrone is funny, well-paced, and just plain cool, and when you think that's all it is, the script digs even deeper. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeJul 14, 2023
When Foxx is onscreen with Parris, a certain kind of magic happens. The pair treat their characters’ verbal tussles like rappers in a cypher: Their metaphors are smooth and their egos huge. Read full review
80
EmpireAmon WarmannJul 14, 2023
A stylish, laugh-out-loud blast that has something to say but doesn’t sacrifice enjoyment to do so, anchored by a trio of great performances. Quite the debut for Juel Taylor. Read full review
80
IGNKenneth Seward Jr.Jul 14, 2023
They Cloned Tyrone is a comical mash-up of genres that pays homage to 1970’s Blaxploitation. It features a strong cast, an engaging premise, and a stylish aesthetic that sets it apart from similar films. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubTimothy CogshellJul 21, 2023
At first glance, They Cloned Tyrone is a silly satire of early ’70s blaxploitation flicks like Super Fly or Willie Dynamite that adds what writer-director Juel Taylor and writer Tony Rettenmaier call a “... dash of Scooby Doo.” Fortunately, the filmmakers here have something more in mind. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoJul 21, 2023
They Cloned Tyrone may bend under the weight of ideas, but it never breaks, largely because of its great ensemble but also because Juel Taylor clearly has an eye and an ambition that screams promise. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreJul 21, 2023
The screenplay sings a song of silliness and conspiracy, start to finish. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineRoss McIndoeJul 16, 2023
The satire here isn’t quite as on point as that of its predecessors, but it helps that Boyega, Parris, and Foxx share the sort of chemistry that even the most secretive government lab couldn’t cook up. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonJul 14, 2023
They Cloned Tyrone can be heavy-handed times and runs a bit long, but the committed performances of its plucky triumvirate of stars go a long way toward the fun. Read full review
75
ColliderChase HutchinsonJul 14, 2023
That we remain invested is a testament to Boyega as he proves once more he is capable of making good films that are greater than the sum of their parts. It cements his status as one of those actors who makes any project he is attached to one worth seeking out with They Cloned Tyrone being on the better end of a career with so much promise ahead Read full review
70
CNNBrian LowryJul 21, 2023
Slow to start, the movie taps into a genre of “What’s behind the curtain?” paranoia that’s provocative, if a little slim on detail. Read full review
70
Paste MagazineJesse HassengerJul 20, 2023
On a scene-by-scene basis, though, They Cloned Tyrone is well-crafted entertainment, buoyed by its three major performances. Read full review
70
We Got This CoveredScott CampbellJul 14, 2023
They Cloned Tyrone is comfortably Netflix's most original blockbuster of the year, and being exactly the movie you think it is and something completely unexpected at the exact same time is easily its biggest strength. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesNoel MurrayJul 21, 2023
The story takes a while to get going, then rambles a lot once the premise has been established. And the dialogue zooms along so fast that it can be hard to follow. But young filmmakers are supposed to take chances like this. Read full review
60
Total FilmKevin HarleyJul 14, 2023
Mashing up Groundhog Day with Get Out, They Live, Sorry to Bother You, Westworld, A Clockwork Orange, blaxploitation films, "X-Files shit", and more, They Cloned Tyrone is a race-conscious conspiracy caper at heart, spruced up with some zippy patter and a razor-sharp cast. Read full review
60
The GuardianPeter BradshawJul 14, 2023
It all bounces along amiably enough, due to the high-octane work of Boyega, Foxx and Parris. Perhaps they deserve to be in a more serious film or in a comedy that was skewed more to grownups. Well, it’s a film with its own peculiarly unexpected innocence and charm. Read full review
58
The PlaylistBrian FarvourAug 1, 2023
They Cloned Tyrone is far from bad, but does require patience and the ability to shed those feelings of “I’ve seen this before” that pop up from time to time. Fortunately, the cast is here to help usher one along and maintain some sort of momentum before the film starts propelling forward on its own. Read full review
50
SlashfilmVanessa ArmstrongJul 14, 2023
For all the areas where it doesn't quite work, however, there's no argument that They Cloned Tyrone digs into important topics and inequities, and sheds light on people who deserve to get more attention. It's also a bold film that takes big swings. Read full review
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