They Cloned Tyrone

Suddenly, a little gem appears in the middle of the worst streaming drought we have experienced in a long time. Because most people probably agree that it has been an exceptionally bad summer for streamed films and now we are almost back to the good old days when you had to rush to the cinema to see quality films. To the delight of some and the chagrin of others, and probably because there is a clear focus on series with most service providers for a long time, but it is actually amazing to see how so many platforms can deliver as little as they have done this summer and Netflix has perhaps stood with the poorest supply of them all. But They Cloned Tyrone stands out. It risks a little more and is not ashamed of it. However, it should be said that it is not a new film per se, after all, it has been around for over two years but for some reason has not been released until now, which is usually a warning sign, a clear message that it is far too bad. That no one wants to touch the film and that's why it's been gathering dust on the shelf, but sometimes it can be just right to bide your time and wait for the perfect opportunity. Like now, when the competition is particularly weak.

Fans of Jordan Peele's work will immediately recognise themselves in director Juel Taylor's world. It's virtually impossible to watch They Cloned Tyrone without drawing parallels to both Get Out and Nope, but Taylor still stands firmly on his own two feet and manages to capture that gritty, soberly dirty Blaxploation feel of the austere 70's while juggling the ultra-modern sections with a steady hand. Sure, things get out of hand sometimes when he tries to fit in too much at once, but for the most part, Juel gets away with the honour here, thanks in large part to a brilliant ensemble cast that handles everything from slapstick humour to classic horror. The sources of inspiration are many, ranging from The X-Files to Cabin in the Woods, but at the core, as the mainstay, we find a concept that is so outdated nowadays that protest lists should be written. Yep, it's Monday all week again. This time it's John Boyega who joins an illustrious group, which in addition to Mr Groundhog Day himself, Bill Murray, also includes Tom Cruise, Adam Sandler and Jake Gyllehaal who have all had to relive the same day over and over again.

Fontaine (Boyega) is the drug dealer who is shot dead after trying to collect a debt and then wakes up in the same bed every morning as if nothing happened. Then the day goes on. Just like the previous one, with the same scratched lottery ticket and the same thirsty drunk, yet with small fragments of memory remaining, a faint sense of deja vu. But he dies again. In the same deal, with the same customer, and the one who owes Fontaine money is none other than star pimp Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx), the pimp of pimps. Once a proud recipient of the pimp of the year award. When Fontaine reappears the next day, alive, the pimp is of course very surprised and equally perplexed is the witness to the execution, joy girl Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris), who is tired of selling herself and plans to trade prostitution for blockchain. Fontaine himself, of course, wonders why he's still breathing and intends to get to the bottom of the mystery, no matter what. The three put their heads together and won't stop until they find out what the heck is going on in The Glen neighbourhood.

Nothing is as it seems in They Cloned Tyrone and it's hard to write a review without risking spoiling the beautifully twisted story that contains both conspiracies and future technology. There's a lot of absurdity you have to swallow to fully enjoy, but that's exactly what makes the film so worth watching. This is a ride like no other, not exactly a fluffy Sunday ride. No, it's a messy journey full of attitude and as I mentioned, it constantly moves across genre boundaries. One moment you are laughing at a hilarious situation that is as stupid as it is brilliant and the next you are sitting with your heart in your throat. Here, however, I wish Taylor had dared even more, released the brakes and fully delivered on the tension he had built up over time. Now it never really becomes that nail-biter, but the heart is soon back down in the chest again.

The dialogue is just as you'd expect in a socially critical blaxploitation film - sharp, snappy and sassy and full of pop culture references. The soundtrack is funky and bouncy, as it should be, but without a street-smart acting ensemble to back up the cockiness that permeates the entire film, this would have fallen flat. Thankfully Boyega, Foxx and Parris are in collective form. A stoic gentleman, a blabbermouth with swag and a fearless woman who complement each other perfectly. However, They Cloned Tyrone is at its best in the first two thirds, before all the cards are on the table. Then, unfortunately, as is often the case when the mystery is lifted, it becomes a bit of a journey to the end, but as a whole, it gilds a really poor streaming summer and Juel Taylor delivers something as unusual as a film that feels both unique and challenging.