The Netflix sci-fi movie's mystery-box elements are enough to keep one hooked throughout its runtime. However, it is its sharp comedy and blaxploitation themes that immerse viewers further into its compelling story. John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and Jamie Foxx also have incredible on-screen chemistry throughout They Cloned Tyrone's runtime, which makes its conspiracy sci-fi drama even more memorable.
Netflix’s They Cloned Tyrone Channels “Get Out Meets Black Mirror” Energy
Jordan Peele's Get Out is known for externalizing the horror of the Black experience with its hard-hitting portrayal of psychological horror. Netflix's They Cloned Tyrone walks down a similar narrative domain, but scales things up to a significantly larger degree. Just like the "sunken place" in Get Out, an entire neighborhood in They Cloned Tyrone is portrayed as a pacified social construct.
In both, seemingly safe and familiar spaces are treated as clever metaphors for how day-to-day comforts can quietly mask systems of control and identity erasure. For instance, while Get Out unfolds in a serene suburban estate, They Coned Tyrone takes place in a seemingly regular neighborhood where the characters initially seem too immersed in their everyday snags to notice anything unusual.
Even the overarching villains in both are quite similar. Just as the central family members in Get Out claim to admire Black people, the architects behind the human experiments in Netflix's They Cloned Tyrone claim they are achieving peace by eliminating racial friction through genetic assimilation.
The Black Mirror parallels seem evident in They Cloned Tyrone's retro-futuristic atmosphere. While it initially seems to unfold in the present world, it eventually introduces everything from cloning technology to subliminal behavior modification.
Like Black Mirror, They Cloned Tyrone also highlights how technology and science are misused by those in power to manipulate marginalized communities and maintain social control in the name of progress.
Despite Being Overlooked, They Cloned Tyrone Is Arguably Netflix’s Best Sci-Fi Movie
Despite being very similar to other clever and mind-bending Blaxpolitation movies like Get Out and Sorry To Bother You, They Cloned Tyrone remains relatively obscure. It also earned rave reviews from both viewers and critics when it first premiered, but never ended up getting mainstream attention. Perhaps, the fact that it premiered around the same time as Barbie and Oppenheimer held it back from gaining more traction.
While it is unfortunate that They Cloned Tyrone is not as celebrated as other mainstream sci-fi flicks, it deserves to be touted as one of the best original sci-fi movies on Netflix.
The sci-fi movie's well-timed twists, incredible performances, and sharp satire ensure that it never leaves a dull moment in its two-hour runtime. They Cloned Tyrone's ending also delivers an incredible cliffhanger that does not necessarily set up a sequel but leaves viewers asking for more.
Given how nothing has been said about its sequel, it seems unlikely They Cloned Tyrone 2 will ever see the light of day. However, the Netflix sci-fi movie still deserves attention. Its parallels with Black Mirror and Get Out are enough to sell it as one of the most intriguing modern sci-fi flicks. What further adds to its appeal is how it draws on real conspiracy theories while delivering social commentary and pulpy humor.
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