They Cloned Tyrone Parent Guide

The Glen isn’t known as a welcoming community. That doesn’t bother Fontaine (John Boyega) one bit. He isn’t either. Fontaine is a laconic, intimidating drug dealer, and his business isn’t a pleasant one. On a trip out to collect a debt from a local pimp, Slick Charlie (Jamie Foxx), Fontaine gets shot and killed by a rival dealer – only to wake up the next morning with no memory of the incident. Until, that is, he returns to Slick Charlie to collect the money he thinks Slick owes him.

Slick isn’t best pleased when a man he saw take six bullets to the chest walks into his place, but he does his best to explain what happened to Fontaine. With some help from Slick and Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris), one of Slick’s former prostitutes, Fontaine sets off to understand the events of last night – but that’s a question that promises to provide no real answers, just more questions. More nasty, mysterious, dangerous questions…the kind of questions that Fontaine will stop at nothing to resolve.

After enduring Day Shift, I didn’t have high hopes for a Netflix original with Jamie Foxx, but They Cloned Tyrone surprised me. The lead actors manage to create great comic chemistry, and it carries the movie even when the pacing starts to falter. The dialogue is snappy and fun, and the plot is an over-the-top B-movie fever dream – albeit, one with a sprinkling of pointed social commentary.

I had fun with the flick, but I can’t offer a carte blanche recommendation, even as summer entertainment. The biggest issue for most of you is going to be the staggering amount of profanity, with the characters dropping at least 180 unguided f-bombs – a saturation level that would fill even Henry Kissinger with pride. A lot of the characters’ problems are solved with bullets, but the shooting isn’t particularly graphic, so if violence was your only issue, I guess this passes the sniff test. You may be less thrilled with the explicit sexual language and references to prostitution, or the heavy drinking and occasional drug use.

All that being said, They Cloned Tyrone was never intended as a piece of wholesome family entertainment, and at that it succeeds brilliantly. It also manages to be entertaining if you’ve got the tolerance for the sheer magnitude of cussing, but as always, your mileage will vary. After all, none of us are the same person… for now.