“They Cloned Tyrone,” the brand new Netflix original film starring Jamie Foxx and John Boyega, has multiple Alabama connections, starting with its emerging writer/director making his feature debut with the acclaimed sci-fi comedy.

The film, now streaming on Netflix, is directed and co-written by Juel Taylor, a filmmaker born in Tuskegee with screenwriting credits that include high profile Hollywood productions like “Creed II” and “Space Jam: A New Legacy” prior to hopping in the director’s chair.

Written by Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier, “They Cloned Tyrone” depicts an eerie series of events that leads an unlikely trio (John Boyega, Teyonah Parris and Jamie Foxx) down a rabbit hole into a sinister neighborhood conspiracy. Filmed in Atlanta, it also stars David Alen Grier and Kiefer Sutherland. Watch the trailer above.

The film is already a winner with critics and streamers, scoring a 95% on the Tomatometer and a 100% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Brian Tallerico of rogerebert.com calls it “A creative, witty surprise in the middle of this summer of relatively dreadful original movies on streaming services.”

“‘They Cloned Tyrone’ also stands firmly on its glossy style — the evocatively smoky John Carpenter-esque cinematography and the Blaxploitation-inspired costumes — and its spirited performances,” writes New York Times critic Robert Daniels.

Deadline Hollywood’s Todd McCarthy says it’s “provocative in its mix of sci-fi and contemporary political elements; it’s unusual, gutsy and entirely welcome as something different and unexpected in the genre.”

Taylor, 36, told The New York Times about what the article describes as “surprisingly personal” origins of the film’s complex sci-fi story. He said he knew he wanted to explore a “bootleg Scooby-Doo” mystery where the detectives are “inadequate” but “uniquely equipped” for solving the case. “I had this joke in my mind for a while, like ‘an entrepreneur, a pro, and a hustler walk into a bar and they end up solving a mystery,’” he told Netflix.

He said reconnecting with an old college friend whom he didn’t know suffered from depression changed his perspective on life, prompting him to incorporate thematic elements like blame, responsibility and identity into the story. He also talks about creating a fictional Southern neighborhood where much of the film takes place. Read the full NYT Q&A.

Taylor attended the University of Florida. He originally wanted to pursue video game design but transitioned to filmmaking after experimenting with music videos.

Influences for this particular movie include “The Truman Show,” “They Live,” “The Matrix” and “The Manchurian Candidate.” Some have compared “They Cloned Tyrone” with critical hits like “Get Out” and “Sorry to Bother You,” both of which Taylor said helped his film, noting that when he pitched ideas like his, financiers would see “Black genre is viable.” Read his full interview with Level, in which he references his Alabama upbringing when asked about the film’s symbolic use of Black culture staples.

Taylor’s Hollywood resume keeps growing with a number of big screenwriting credits including “Creed II” and “Space Jam: A New Legacy.” Prior to “They Cloned Tyrone,” Taylor’s directing credits include several television series like “Twenties,” “Boomerang” and “A Guy, a Girl, and Their Monster.” Now, Taylor works with A-listers like Oscar-winner Foxx, “Star Wars” breakout Boyega and budding film and television star Teyonah Parris (”WandaVision,” “Candyman”).

“Teyonah I’ve loved since Mad Men. She’s got the perfect blend,” Taylor told Netflix about casting the film. “Jamie was like a pie in the sky. When we were talking about it way back when, I was like, ‘Man, somebody like Jamie would kill this.’ And he did.”

Also appearing in the film is Huntsville native Suzanne Robertson, who plays “First Reporter,” a newswoman caught in the chaos of a growing phenomenon we won’t spoil. Robertson also served as the on-set visual effects coordinator for “They Cloned Tyrone.” Past visual effects credits include “Justice League,” “Bad Education,” “Beckett,” “Holidate,” “Hillbilly Elegy” and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.”