They Cloned Tyrone, May December, and the 13 best Netflix movies (plus the 10 worst) of 2023

THEY CLONED TYRONE (L-R) TEYONAH PARRIS as YO-YO, JAMIE FOXX (PRODUCER) as SLICK CHARLES, JOHN BOYEGA as FONTAINE. CR. PARRISH LEWIS/NETFLIX

Another year of Netflix movies is about to be behind us as we head toward 2024. This year was a significant one for Netflix, with the streaming service ushering in some polarizing changes like the infamous “password crackdown” and the ad-supported tier rolling out more widely.

When it came to Netflix movies, the streaming service delivered a lot of great films…and a lot of duds, which is to be expected given the pure number of movies Netflix produces each year. That might be changing moving forward, as Netflix is switching back to the licensing game and opting to buy or license more movies and television rather than producing as much original content as they were in the past.

For now, we’re taking a look back at the many Netflix Original films produced in 2023, from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, kicking off with one of the year’s best movies: They Cloned Tyrone.

Best: They Cloned Tyrone

They Cloned Tyrone might shape up to be one of the most underrated movies of the year. Critically acclaimed with a pitch-perfect script, the comedic sci-fi caper had the misfortune of being released on the same weekend as “Barbenheimer” and got more or less overshadowed because of it, which is a real shame because not only is it one of Netflix’s best original movies, it’s easily one of the best of 2023 overall.

John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and Jamie Foxx make for a formidable trio with excellent chemistry as the group finds themselves embroiled in a sinister government conspiracy in their hometown. Boyega plays a drug dealer named Fontaine, working in his hometown called the Glen. He has a run-in with a local pimp named Slick Charles (Foxx) and a sex worker named Yo-Yo (Parris).

After a truly extraordinary incident, the three characters find themselves brought together to try and save their town. Each character holds their own, easily bantering and bouncing jokes back and forth as they navigate the savvy script, which is especially timely and has the potential to become a cult hit in a few years as people double back and realize what they missed out on.

Written by Maddy Lennon