They Cloned Tyrone is the unusual sci-fi comedy movie that Netflix needs right now (2024)

The official trailer for Netflix's They Cloned Tyrone has debuted online, and it'll make you think twice about eating fried chicken ever again.

Starring John Boyega (Star Wars), Jamie Foxx (Spider-Man: No Way Home), and Teyonah Parris (WandaVision), They Cloned Tyrone is a stylish sci-fi comedy-mystery film dripping in retrofuturism and seemingly influenced by blaxploitation movies of the 1960s.

Little was known about the new Netflix movie's plot and, until today, the only previous footage released by Netflix came in the form of a teaser trailer for They Cloned Tyrone during Tudum 2022. Now, though, we have a better idea of what the film's story is about – and it seems like fried chicken is the reason behind the mysterious goings-on in the town that Boyega's Fontain, Foxx's Slick Charles, and Parris' Yo-Yo inhabit.

Check the official trailer below:

In a press release, Netflix provided a brief plot synopsis that, well, doesn't really add much to what you've just seen in the teaser. Still, if you're interested in reading it, here it is: "A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio (Boyega, Foxx, and Parris) onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy in this pulpy mystery caper."

So, what is the story behind They Cloned Tyrone? Fontaine, a hustler by trade, spots someone in his neighborhood being kidnapped by unknown individuals in a black SUV one day. Enlisting the help of Yo-Yo and Slick Charles, Fontaine tracks the car down to a seemingly innocent home on a quiet street.

Unsurprisingly for a film partly positioned as a mystery/conspiracy thriller, though, all isn't as it seems. After finding a secret elevator, the trio unearth a below-ground laboratory where – surprise surprise – they find a clone of Fontaine. Cue bouts of paranoia that they (and the rest of the US' Black population) are being brainwashed and/or controlled by the government through their favorite foods: fried chicken and grape juice.

Joining Boyega, Foxx, and Parris as supporting cast members are Kiefer Sutherland (24), J. Alphonse Nicholson (White Men Can't Jump), David Alan Grier (Jumanji), Tamberla Perry (Suits), and Eric Robinson Jr (New Amsterdam). Juel Taylor (Space Jam: A New Legacy, Shooting Stars) is on dual writing and directing duties, with regular writing partnerTony Rettenmaier (Space Jam: A New Legacy, Shooting Stars) helping Taylor to shape the film's script.

Time will tell if They Cloned Tyrone has the ability to take a spot on our best Netflix movies list. Based on what we've seen, though, it looks like it could. Either way, They Cloned Tyrone is one of many potentially terrific films set to debut on the world's best streaming service in the coming months, with Extraction 2, Nimona, The Monkey King, Bird Box: Barcelona, Heart of Stone, and many more set to arrive on Netflix before the end of August.

For more Netflix coverage, check out our guides on the best Netflix shows and best Netflix documentaries.

They Cloned Tyrone debuts on Netflix on Friday, July 21.