New to Prime Video: ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ Review

It came as a bit of a surprise to me when I saw a recent news story about Sacha Baron Cohen trolling Rudy Giuliani during a filming of his new movie. My first thought was that Cohen is at it again, probably having created another outlandish character, such as Bruno or General Aladeen in ‘The Dictator’, but lo and behold, Cohen has graced us with the return of easily his most famous character, Borat. Back in 2015 Cohen released his film ‘Borat‘ to the world and it overnight became something of a cultural phenomenon. His gonzo style of comedy and filmmaking has become his trademark and along with his powerful social critique embedded in it’s narrative, the film felt incredibly original while never taking itself too seriously. So here we are in 2020, in what at times feels like one big end of the world party, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect for the sequel – ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm‘.

Borat 2 Synopsis

The first Borat film was an entertaining dive into some of the more darker aspects of American culture. Sacha Baron Cohen’s knack for extreme sarcasm can be difficult to stomach at times, but in the best ways possible. ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ picks up where the original left off, with Borat back home in his country of Kazakhstan. In the original film, Borat defecates in the front of Trump tower in New York City, which eventually becomes an embarrassment to his country and fellow Kazakhstanis after Trump becomes leader of the free world. Borat is kicked out of his country until he completes a mission given to him to deliver a monkey to Vice President Mike Pence as an apology on behalf of the government of Kazakhstan. Before leaving his country in shame, he discovers he has a 15 year old daughter named Tutar (played by Maria Bakalova) who follows her father to America in hopes of finding a rich man to marry.

Now this is a very tame synopsis – following in the original movie’s footsteps, ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ is rife with the most offensive and immature humor you can think of. No subject is safe, as they make fun of everything from femininity and abortion to COVID and right wing conspiracy theorists.

The general premise that made the first film so unforgettable still exists, with Borat and Tutar getting real people to unknowingly become characters in the movie. As we have all come to expect with Sacha Baron Cohen’s trademark style, mayhem ensues as their ignorance on American culture and etiquette repeatedly gets them in awkward and disturbing situations. It’s difficult sometimes to tell what exactly is real and what isn’t, but that’s what truly gives it its charm and genius.

McDonald Trump and His Strong Men

While the first film took aim more so at culture, this film had a heavy focus on the elephant in the room – Donald Trump and his administration. Both stars of the film managed to get surprising close to people in Trump’s circle, and apparently in a scene not included in the film, Maria Bakalova even managed to get in the same room as the monster himself.

But the film’s climax, and the scene that everyone has been talking about recently, involves a faux interview with Giuliani that ends in the most strangest way imaginable. So strange, in fact, that Giuliani and Cohen have had quiet a back and forth regarding what exactly went down. Without giving too much away, that scene alone and its newsworthiness alone makes this film worth watching.

Nice Subsequent Movie Review

Overall, Cohen has successfully crafted yet another genius film. Despite having some of the most inappropriate and seemingly immature humor, he still manages to craft an extremely well written story that’s just as fun to watch as I’m sure they had fun making it. And while I didn’t know who Maria Bakalova was before seeing this film, she absolutely holds her own alongside Cohen, making them a really good comedy duo.

While the humor isn’t for everyone, if you have seen and appreciated Cohen’s other work, this one definitely will not let you down. In the words of the films illustrious star, “It’s very nice!”