Sightlines · reception

How They Cloned Tyrone was received

2023 · Juel Taylor · They Cloned Tyrone on Sightlines

The arc

Landed in July 2023 to strong reviews and real buzz for its Boyega–Foxx–Parris trio, then did the classic Netflix vanishing act within weeks. Since then it's become a go-to exhibit in the 'great movies the algorithm swallowed' conversation — the film people keep telling each other they missed.

What’s debated

The recurring fight is whether it's an underseen gem that deserved a theatrical run and awards attention, or a stylish also-ran riding the Get Out / Sorry to Bother You social-satire wave — with a side debate about Netflix burying it.

Its footprint

It lives on as shorthand for the streaming era's disposability problem — a movie constantly invoked when people argue Netflix doesn't know what to do with good originals — plus endless love for Teyonah Parris's Yo-Yo, the breakout of the ensemble.

Where it stands

A budding cult object: a fixture on 'best Netflix originals you actually haven't seen' lists and a reliable Letterboxd 'why did nobody talk about this' rewatch pick within the modern Black surrealist sci-fi wave.

Did you know? It's the directorial debut of Juel Taylor, who'd previously co-written Creed II and Space Jam: A New Legacy — and Jamie Foxx pulled double duty as star and producer.