Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2020)
★★ — Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2020)
Sacha Baron Cohen revived his most famous creation fourteen years after the original 2006 film became a genuine cultural phenomenon, this time working with first-time feature director Jason Woliner (better known for television comedy) and shooting largely in secret during the chaos of 2020, a year that provided the production with an almost impossibly rich satirical backdrop. The film was shot guerrilla-style across a country mid-pandemic and mid-election cycle, with Cohen reportedly wearing disguises even on set to protect the project's secrecy. Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova was cast as Borat's daughter Tutar, a role that would earn her an Academy Award nomination. Amazon Studios acquired and distributed the finished film, releasing it on Prime Video in October 2020, just weeks before the US presidential election.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm tries hard to recapture the shock, satire, and chaotic energy of the original, but ends up feeling more calculated, less surprising, and frankly, not nearly as funny. Sacha Baron Cohen is still fearless in his commitment, and there are a few standout moments, especially Maria Bakalova’s performance as his daughter Tutar, who steals scenes with boldness and unexpected heart, but too much of the humour relies on the same old formula: trapping real people in absurd situations and watching them react. The problem is, we’ve seen it before, and this time, the world’s wiser, the targets often seem pre-warned or edited for maximum outrage rather than genuine revelation. The satire feels less sharp, more scattered, veering between political commentary and lowbrow gags without the balance that made the first film so potent. And while the father-daughter dynamic adds a new layer, it sometimes clashes tonally with the crassness around it. It’s not without merit, but compared to the audacity and cultural impact of Borat, this one feels like a retread with diminishing returns. Brave in places, occasionally funny, but mostly a reminder that lightning rarely strikes twice. Nowhere near as good as the first.
Rating: ★★ | Year: 2020 | Watched: 2025-09-26
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Amazon Prime Video · Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Physical: Amazon UK
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Related on Movies With Macca
More with Sacha Baron Cohen: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
More from the 2020s: Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025) · The Long Walk (2025) · Americana (2023)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
