A sharper, more topical sequel that trades some of the first film’s shock-value freshness for a more pointed satire of American politics, media gullibility, and pandemic-era absurdity. It’s messy, mean, and often very funny, with a surprisingly effective emotional thread that gives the movie more shape than a… Read more
39% ★★☆☆☆ (631,726)
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Where to watch: Amazon
Movie · Comedy · R
2020 · 1h 36m · ★ 39% (631.7K)
Wear mask. Save live.
Director: Jason Woliner
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova, Tom Hanks
Overview
14 years after making a film about his journey across the USA, Borat risks life and limb when he returns to the United States with his young daughter, and reveals more about the culture, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the political elections.
Director
Jason Woliner
Production
Oak Springs Productions, Four by Two Films
Cast
Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova, Tom Hanks, Dani Popescu, Manuel Vieru, Miroslav Tolj, Alin Popa, Ion Gheorghe, Nicolae Gheorghe, Marcela Codrea, Luca Nelu, Judith Dim Evans, Mike Pence, Rudolph Giuliani, Chase Fein
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharper, more topical sequel that trades some of the first film’s shock-value freshness for a more pointed satire of American politics, media gullibility, and pandemic-era absurdity. It’s messy, mean, and often very funny, with a surprisingly effective emotional thread that gives the movie more shape than a simple prank reel.
Best for
Viewers who like confrontational, cringe-heavy satire
Fans of mockumentary comedy and social ambush humor
People interested in pandemic-era cultural time capsules
Audiences who appreciate political comedy with a nasty edge
Skip if
You dislike humiliation comedy or public-prank setups
You want a warm, character-driven sequel rather than a provocation machine
You’re sensitive to crude, offensive, or politically charged material
You prefer tightly plotted comedies over improvisational chaos
Overview
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is less a repeat of the original than a stress test for a country already halfway to parody. The movie uses Borat’s return to expose a culture warped by conspiracy, misogyny, celebrity worship, and the chaos of 2020, and it often lands because the targets are so painfully willing to reveal themselves.
Worth noting
What makes it work is that the sequel knows the old trick alone isn’t enough anymore. It folds in a father-daughter dynamic, a pandemic backdrop, and a real sense of historical moment, which gives the film more emotional contour than you might expect from a movie built on ambushes and improvised disasters.
Bottom line
It’s not as consistently explosive as the first film, and some of the shock depends on how much you enjoy watching people trap themselves. But as a satirical artifact of its moment, it’s smart, nasty, and frequently very funny, with a finale that turns the whole thing into something stranger and more satisfying than a simple comeback gag.
Top Letterboxd reviews
davidehrlich (3.5★) · 3219 likes
Rudy Giuliani: "My liiiffee!"
mia lee vicino (3★) · 2314 likes
“wawaweewa” count is high — lost track after 6. as it should be :)
James (Schaffrillas) (4★) · 2236 likes
THAT LAST TWIST THO HOLY FUCK Not quite as hysterical as the first, but it makes up for that by being actually kinda solid emotionally? And the fact that this storyline was constructed in real time during the pandemic is actually kind of mind-blowing. It's just so nice to get a belated sequel that works as a perfect continuation and companion piece to the original for a change.
Patrick Willems (3.5★) · 1207 likes
I'm a simple man. Borat says "jagshemash" and I laugh.
Jay (3.5★) · 1084 likes
the last 10 minutes of this is the equivalent of a saw movie twist