'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' film review: Borat & daughter travel the flat Earth to take on Covid & conspiracies. Very nice.
The famously ignorant Kazakh returns to skewer America as it exists in 2020 - and this time he's bringing his equally daring daughter (Maria Bakalova) in the outrageously hilarious 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' (premiering on Amazon Prime on Oct. 23).
In short: Disgraced Kazakh television journalist Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) is tasked with a mission: return to 'U S & A' to offer a gift to 'Premiere' Trump's inner circle.
To be clear, this is a spoiler-free review. The full 'Borat' experience means being as completely unprepared as his marks. Just know 'Subsequent Moviefilm' - like 'Borat' and 'Bruno' before it - is a loosely connected string of increasingly ridiculous stunts. It's like 'Jackass' - except with a scathing satirical edge.
American politics and society, as they are, seem to have outpaced even the notoriously misogynistic and anti-Semitic reporter in terms of sheer ridiculousness. But Borat and his daughter Tutar (breakout co-star Maria Bakalova) rise to the challenge - proving the absurd caricature is just as relevant today as he was in 2006, if not more so. They are hyperbolic, dark mirrors of what America has descended into.
Cohen is infamously fearless to the point of recklessness, as he once again puts himself in danger - just to prank unsuspecting targets. And Bakalova proves she is just as audacious her on-screen father. Her total commitment to a character every bit as backward and offensive as Borat Sagdiyev alone makes her one of great characters of 2020. But rather than just being a Borat-clone, Tutar is an earnest character whose relationship with her estranged, absurd father makes 'Subsequent Moviefilm' surprisingly, disarmingly sweet.
Cohen's characters are often accused of entrapping their victims - making them say and do patently racist or sexist things as a comedic 'gotcha.' He's been sued several times by past prank victims for just that accusation. The problem is -- it's not like Cohen ever puts a gun to the head of his so-called victims. It's one thing for Borat to ask a cake maker to write a terrible sentiment on a cake - but the true horror is watching her comply so willingly. Once again, Borat just gives unwitting Americans a gentle nudge - and let's them sing about butchering journalists or joke about child prostitution.
And now we've come to the movie's biggest moment. For a satirical comedy that pulls no punches in the pursuit of gut-busting laughs, 'Subsequent Moviefilm' culminates in a moment that is genuinely disgusting and reprehensible - and totally devoid of comedy. The moment is larger than the film itself. Even in this era where everyday people are callous to outrage, it's impossible to imagine how the real-life politician at the center of this stomach-churning scene can possibly survive the controversy to come.
Final verdict: Even in a world defined by QAnon conspiracy theories and a global pandemic, Kazakhstan's fourth best journalist is the cinematic, consistently offensive hero the world needs right now. And even he's not as nakedly ridiculous as the world around him.
Score: 4/5
'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan' streams on Amazon Prime starting Oct. 23. This comedy is rated R for pervasive strong crude and sexual content, graphic nudity, and language and has a running time of 95 minutes.
