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)
Fourteen years is a long time in comedy. When Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan arrived in 2006, it felt like something genuinely new: a mockumentary that weaponised its own absurdity to expose real prejudice, real ignorance, and real America in ways that more conventional satire simply could not reach. It was uncomfortable, frequently outrageous, and very, very funny. The question hanging over any follow-up was always going to be whether that particular trick could work twice, on an audience that now knew the trick existed.
The answer, in the form of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, arrived in October 2020, released directly to Amazon Prime Video in the thick of a global pandemic and just weeks before a United States presidential election. The timing was deliberate, the subject matter inescapable. Directed by Jason Woliner, whose background is largely in television comedy and music videos, the film was produced through Oak Springs Productions and Four by Two Films. The production circumstances were complicated even by ordinary standards: a film shot guerrilla-style, often without the knowledge of its subjects, during COVID-19 lockdowns, with all the logistical chaos that entails. That context is worth keeping in mind, because it shaped both what the film could do and what it could not.
Sacha Baron Cohen reprises the character he has played in various forms across his career, the fictional Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev, though this time he is joined by Maria Bakalova, a Bulgarian actress who had worked primarily in European productions before landing what turned out to be a remarkably demanding role. Bakalova plays Tutar, Borat's daughter, and her work here drew considerable attention during the film's release, earning award nominations and introducing her to a much wider international audience. Tom Hanks also appears, albeit briefly, in circumstances the film itself makes clear enough in its opening act. The rest of the cast is largely composed of real people, unwitting participants, and a handful of supporting performers including Dani Popescu and Manuel Vieru, who help anchor the scripted elements of the story. The film's central premise sends Borat back to America with Tutar in tow, the pair blundering through a country convulsed by pandemic restrictions, political division, and an atmosphere that, in its own way, had become almost as surreal as anything Baron Cohen could manufacture.
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.
Bakalova really is the most interesting thing the film has going for it, and I find myself wishing the whole project had leaned into that father-daughter dynamic more consistently rather than retreating to familiar territory whenever the pace slackened. There is a version of this film that takes genuine risks with its own formula, and you can occasionally glimpse it. For anyone who has not yet seen the original, I would honestly point you there first, and then approach this one with expectations adjusted accordingly. As sequels to beloved comedies go, it is polished but unremarkable, and that, for a film built on provocation, might be the unkindest thing you can say about it.
Rating: ★★ | Year: 2020 | Watched: 2025-09-26
Trailer
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Stream: Amazon Prime Video · Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
Watch in the US
Stream: Amazon Prime Video · Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Physical: Amazon US
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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)
