“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” is “very nice”
Sacha Baron Cohen and Maria Bakalova shake things up before the 2020 presidential election
Sacha Baron Cohen stars in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”, released in select theaters and on Amazon Prime on Oct. 23, 2020. (Photo courtesy of Amazon Studios)
Fourteen years after Sacha Baron Cohen’s first film “Borat” debuted, the world has been gifted with a sequel by the provocative creator entitled “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” released Oct. 23.
The movie begins by tying up any loose ends that were left at the end of the first movie, letting viewers know where Borat, a journalist from Kazakhstan, has been for the last 14 years as well as introducing Borat’s estranged 15-year-old daughter, Tutar, played by Maria Bakalova.
The two travel to America, separately, and embark on a journey around the country together in order to deliver Tutar as a bribe to members of the Republican party in an attempt to restore glory to the nation of Kazakhstan.
Though quite entertaining, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” can be summed up in one word: sequel. While it has many worthwhile scenes and plenty of new jokes, as well as old highlights, the movie lacks the indescribable charm that made the first movie such a success.
Much like the original and Cohen’s other projects, the movie aims to showcase Americans at their rawest and often worst. However, instead of punching up like Cohen usually does, much of his interactions with everyday people actually seem more like punching down.
For example, at one point in the movie, Borat enters a synagogue disguised as an extremely offensive stereotype of a Jewish person and the first person he interacts with is a woman who survived the Holocaust.
Though Cohen himself is Jewish and the woman did not seem to be offended by his presence in the costume, it still raises the question was this woman really the best target for a mean spirited prank?
That said, this movie is overall one of the funniest and possibly most accurate movies to come out and sum up what is being called the worst year ever: 2020.
Bakalova’s performance rivals that of Cohen and keeps you wanting more as the movie twists and turns, leading up to the ultimate climax involving former New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani, almost literally.
Watch “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” for free on Amazon Prime Video.
