Since its 2006 release, actor-comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”) mockumentary-style satire “Borat” has remained both popular and infamous among audiences worldwide due to its racy brand of humor. Despite its fictional protagonist and story, a good portion of the film is dedicated to his real-life interactions with American citizens, some of which sparked significant controversy amidst the parties involved in these encounters. Despite Baron Cohen performing similar pranks as different characters, the overwhelming popularity of “Borat” following its release prompted the actor to retire the character, as he had simply become too recognizable for the actor to maintain a low profile while filming as him in later appearances.
In 2020, the public was shocked to learn that Baron Cohen had in fact resurrected the Borat character and had been secretly filming a sequel, titled “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” Remaining in the same satirical spirit as its predecessor, the sequel follows the eponymous Kazakh journalist, alongside his daughter, Tutar (Maria Bakalova, “Last Call”), as he once again tours America, this time in the middle of a presidential election and a global pandemic. In the process, the film provides a renewed commentary on American culture, which proves to be all the more timely and hilarious given that we are still living under these conditions.
The film finds Baron Cohen, alongside Bakalova as they target real life individuals for their pranks and antics. Such people who fall victim to these surreal events include current Vice President Mike Pence, and former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani. Regardless of the person or situation, both performers show intense devotion to both their characters and schtick, thus allowing for authentic, often bizarre, interactions to occur. Overall, the film’s comedy prospers by maintaining the same gutsy, often shocking nature of the first film’s humor, though it may be slightly less memorable in the long run.
Where the film really shines is through its story, which in comparison to the first film, is significantly more coherent and heartfelt. This comes through the addition of Tutar as a character, as we see her and Borat’s relationship as a father and daughter gradually develop, thereby allowing for some rather sweet and often hilarious moments. Furthermore, this allows for Borat to experience a lot more development as a character than he had in the prior film, as his daughter’s presence causes him to begin questioning his own morals and lifestyle.
Full disclosure, this film is not for everyone. It’s star and creator’s willingness to push boundaries and do seemingly almost anything for the sake of comedy may be too much for some. Others may find that its shock value makes for a riotously hilarious outing. Regardless, the film succeeds in providing a rather intelligent, albeit unsubtle, approach at conveying a satirical look into American culture and politics. All the while, it provides for a rather heartfelt story which greatly improves the titular Borat as a character overall, all while still being able to maintain the bumbling personality and eccentric mannerisms which give his character so much appeal. Although its predecessor still reigns superior, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” still certainly justifies its own existence, and it stands as a remarkably worthy sequel to an iconic comedy.
Image via ONE MEDIA via YouTube
