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htlad-observer_leaderboard_atf" id="observer_leaderboard_atf"></div>  <div id="single-post-wrapper"> <div id="primary" class="content-area"> <main id="main" class="site-main" role="main"> <div class="article-wrap"> <article id="post-1252822" class="post-1252822 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail tag-borat tag-comedy-movies channel-entertainment channel-movie-reviews channel-movies nyo_person-sacha-baron-cohen nyo_person-mike-pence nyo_person-rudy-giuliani nyo_person-maria-bakalova" data-post="" data-title="‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ Is a Targeted Takedown of America’s Worst" data-url="" data-page-url="/2020/10/borat-2-subsequent-moviefilm-review-sacha-baron-cohen/" data-date="2020-10-21 12:00:57" data-date-iso="2020-10-21T12:00:57-04:00" data-author="Eric Vilas-Boas" data-coauthors="Eric Vilas-Boas" data-channels="Entertainment, Movie Reviews, Movies" data-piped-channels="Entertainment|Movie Reviews|Movies" > <header class="entry-header"> <div class="entry-teaser"> <a href="https://observer.com/entertainment/" aria-label="Read more articles on Entertainment">Entertainment</a><span>  •  </span><a href="https://observer.com/movies/" aria-label="Read more articles on Movies">Movies</a> </div> <h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ Is a Targeted Takedown of America’s Worst</h1> <h2 class="dek">Sacha Baron Cohen's sequel to Borat is a defining film of the Trump era.</h2> <div class="entry-meta nyo-social-comments nyo-social-comments-above"> By <span class="author" itemprop="author"><a rel="author" class="url fn n" href="https://observer.com/author/eric-vilas-boas/" title="View All Posts by Eric Vilas-Boas">Eric Vilas-Boas</a></span> • <span class="entry-date"><time itemprop="datePublished" datetime="2020-10-21">10/21/20 12:00pm</time></span> <svg aria-hidden="true" style="position: absolute; width: 0; height: 0; overflow: hidden;" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" 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itemprop="articleBody"> <figure id="attachment_1252826" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1252826" style="width: 635px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-1252826" src="https://observer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/10/borat-subsequent-moviefilm-BLOODMOON_Unit_00054R_rgb.jpg?quality=80&w=635" alt="Irina Nowak and Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" width="635" height="424" srcset="https://observer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/10/borat-subsequent-moviefilm-BLOODMOON_Unit_00054R_rgb.jpg 4500w, https://observer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/10/borat-subsequent-moviefilm-BLOODMOON_Unit_00054R_rgb.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://observer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/10/borat-subsequent-moviefilm-BLOODMOON_Unit_00054R_rgb.jpg?resize=768,513 768w, https://observer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/10/borat-subsequent-moviefilm-BLOODMOON_Unit_00054R_rgb.jpg?resize=635,424 635w, https://observer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/10/borat-subsequent-moviefilm-BLOODMOON_Unit_00054R_rgb.jpg?resize=1536,1026 1536w, https://observer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/10/borat-subsequent-moviefilm-BLOODMOON_Unit_00054R_rgb.jpg?resize=2048,1368 2048w, https://observer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/10/borat-subsequent-moviefilm-BLOODMOON_Unit_00054R_rgb.jpg?resize=970,648 970w, https://observer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/10/borat-subsequent-moviefilm-BLOODMOON_Unit_00054R_rgb.jpg?resize=320,214 320w, https://observer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/10/borat-subsequent-moviefilm-BLOODMOON_Unit_00054R_rgb.jpg?resize=1920,1283 1920w, https://observer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/10/borat-subsequent-moviefilm-BLOODMOON_Unit_00054R_rgb.jpg?resize=50,33 50w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 300px, 620px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-1252826" class="wp-caption-text">Maria Bakalova and Sacha Baron Cohen in <em>Borat Subsequent Moviefilm</em>. <span class="media-credit">Amazon Studios</span></figcaption></figure> <p>You’d be forgiven for going into <em>Borat Subsequent Moviefilm</em> skeptical. For one, the original mockumentary-style comedy <em>Borat</em>, released well into George W. Bush’s second term, felt like lightning in a bottle—a perfect confluence of a comedic talent on his come up, an earlier internet eager for viral videos and <em>Punk’d</em>-style comedy and a far less nuanced understanding of cultural sensitivity than we have today. With all that in mind, how could a <em>Borat 2</em> ever really work in a way that didn’t cheapen or diminish the character?</p> <section class="wp-block-observer-newsletters observer-newsletters--in-content"> <form class="newsletters-block__container" method="post" action="#" id="newsletter-6747cb9f0c1f54.45428820" data-form="subscribe-newsletter" data-recaptcha-key="6LexvRggAAAAAF1HvCWrHtG4UAa7m0WIdyIgstAo" data-form-action="https://observer.com/newsletter-subscribe.json"> <div class="observer-newsletters__in-content-icon"> <svg fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 51 51" width="50" height="50"><path d="M18.124 15.961C23.25 8.783 30.096 4.967 33.682 7.305a4.04 4.04 0 0 1 1.013.97c0 .028 8.3 16.017 8.3 16.017l4.634 2.989a6.39 6.39 0 0 1 1.793 1.732c.472.684.798 1.45.96 2.253.161.804.154 1.63-.02 2.432a6.075 6.075 0 0 1-.995 2.24l-.209.291c-.977 1.355-2.475 2.288-4.17 2.598a6.827 6.827 0 0 1-4.883-.943L32.662 48.32c-1.095 1.285-3.197 2.564-5.792 1.059a3.834 3.834 0 0 1-1.15-1.093 3.63 3.63 0 0 1-.587-1.444 3.763 3.763 0 0 1 .008-1.55 3.85 3.85 0 0 1 .635-1.427l6.556-9.208s-15.5-1.174-15.557-1.196a3.812 3.812 0 0 1-1.35-.552c-1.842-1.19-2.502-3.688-1.865-7.035.573-3.082 2.2-6.572 4.564-9.914Zm29.349 19.182.208-.292c.334-.467.567-.992.687-1.545a4.09 4.09 0 0 0 .012-1.678 4.18 4.18 0 0 0-.665-1.555 4.407 4.407 0 0 0-1.239-1.193l-4.002-2.592-5.282 7.405 4.002 2.592a4.64 4.64 0 0 0 1.624.655c.581.114 1.18.119 1.764.013a4.65 4.65 0 0 0 1.634-.631 4.42 4.42 0 0 0 1.257-1.179Zm-20.03 9.809a1.96 1.96 0 0 0-.324 1.528c.108.53.433.998.904 1.3.472.302 1.05.413 1.608.31A2.158 2.158 0 0 0 31 47.23l7.42-10.405-2.983-1.93-.788-.06-7.205 10.117Zm7.832-12.009 5.757-8.072-5.491-10.657c-.533 2.993-2.091 6.55-4.582 10.04-2.49 3.49-5.386 6.18-8.108 7.758l12.424.931ZM18.188 31.66c2.768-.171 7.275-3.143 11.092-8.497s5.056-10.42 4.205-12.94a2.354 2.354 0 0 0-.877-1.185 2.55 2.55 0 0 0-1.44-.47c-2.746 0-7.42 2.989-11.347 8.497-2.212 3.099-3.823 6.34-4.263 9.175-.863 5.42 2.63 5.42 2.63 5.42Z" fill="#000"/><path d="M25.364 16.165a5.726 5.726 0 0 1 2.148.01c.708.14 1.38.412 1.976.8.11.073.204.166.276.272a.941.941 0 0 1 .14.73.947.947 0 0 1-.158.347.998.998 0 0 1-.285.263 1.047 1.047 0 0 1-.767.133 1.046 1.046 0 0 1-.364-.15 3.572 3.572 0 0 0-1.25-.503 3.648 3.648 0 0 0-1.355-.01 3.574 3.574 0 0 0-1.257.486c-.381.238-.71.546-.966.906s-.436.763-.528 1.189a3.152 3.152 0 0 0-.01 1.29c.086.427.26.834.51 1.197.25.363.574.675.952.92a.972.972 0 0 1 .382.48c.07.194.074.405.01.602a.969.969 0 0 1-.37.49 1.048 1.048 0 0 1-.601.186 1.026 1.026 0 0 1-.58-.165 5.305 5.305 0 0 1-2.01-2.363 4.999 4.999 0 0 1-.29-3.028 5.165 5.165 0 0 1 1.527-2.67 5.592 5.592 0 0 1 2.83-1.412h.04Zm-8.491-6.914h-.098c-.25 0-.493-.088-.679-.248a.95.95 0 0 1-.329-.617l-.782-7.234a.919.919 0 0 1 .21-.725c.083-.1.188-.185.306-.247a1.05 1.05 0 0 1 1.14.105.974.974 0 0 1 .36.668l.776 7.24a.933.933 0 0 1-.222.707c-.17.199-.414.325-.682.351ZM3.771 7.763c.149-.214.38-.363.644-.414.264-.052.538-.002.764.138l7.06 4.41a.974.974 0 0 1 .396.482.922.922 0 0 1 .014.611.969.969 0 0 1-.376.496 1.05 1.05 0 0 1-.613.182 1.07 1.07 0 0 1-.58-.155l-7.06-4.41a.961.961 0 0 1-.415-.622.928.928 0 0 1 .166-.718ZM1.61 19.54l8.214-1.406c.265-.045.538.011.759.158.221.146.372.37.42.622a.93.93 0 0 1-.166.723c-.154.21-.389.354-.654.4l-8.207 1.405h-.18c-.258.007-.51-.08-.703-.243A.933.933 0 0 1 .97 19.88a1.03 1.03 0 0 1 .646-.358l-.005.017Z" fill="#000"/></svg> </div> <div class="observer-newsletters__in-content-inner"> <header class="newsletters-block__header"> <h2 class="newsletters-block__title"> Sign Up For Our Daily Newsletter </h2> </header> <div class="newsletters-block__form"> <input type="hidden" name="action" value="subscribe_newsletter"> <input type="hidden" name="newsletters[]" value="newsletter-daily" id="newsletter-daily"> <div class="newsletters-block__fields wp-block-button"> <input class="newsletters-block__input" aria-label="Email Address" placeholder="Email Address" type="email" name="email" required=""> <button class="wp-block-button__link in_article_single_newsletter_button" type="submit"> Sign Up </button> </div> <p class="newsletter-block__success"> Thank you for signing up! </p> <p class="newsletter-block__error"></p> <p class="newsletters-block__disclaimer"> By clicking submit, you agree to our <a href="http://observermedia.com/terms">terms of service</a> and acknowledge we may use your information to send you emails, product samples, and promotions on this website and other properties. You can opt out anytime. </p> </div> <a href="https://observer.com/subscribe/" class="newsletters-block__see-all in_article_single_newsletter_see_all_link"> See all of our newsletters </a> </div> </form> </section> <p>The answer, it turned out, was by giving him a series of very specific, despicable targets to shred to pieces. The new film, which runs at a lean 96 minutes and takes Borat Sagdiyev (<a href="https://observer.com/person/sacha-baron-cohen/" title="Sacha Baron Cohen" class="company-link">Sacha Baron Cohen</a>, once again winsome as an outré, misogynist, anti-Semitic Kazakh journalist) around the world to restore his nation’s honor. (<em>Borat 2</em>‘s full title is <em>Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.</em>) He is joined by his daughter Tutar (<a href="https://observer.com/person/maria-bakalova/" title="Maria Bakalova" class="company-link">Maria Bakalova</a>, aka “Irina Nowak” in <a target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://slate.com/culture/2020/10/borat-sequel-trailer-actress-irina-nowak-maria-bakalova.html" data-lasso-id="1177538">earlier</a> teases), and together they seek to ingratiate their country to current members or surrogates of the American executive branch: “McDonald” Trump, <a href="https://observer.com/person/mike-pence/" title="Mike Pence" class="company-link">Mike Pence</a> and <a href="https://observer.com/person/rudy-giuliani/" title="Rudy Giuliani" class="company-link">Rudy Giuliani</a>.</p><div data-ad="1" class="ad-wrapper ad-top-margin ad-has-disclaimer ad-incontent ad-mobile htlad-observer_article_instream_mobile_1" id="observer_article_instream_mobile_1"></div><div class="ad-wrapper ad-top-margin ad-desktop ad-has-disclaimer ad-incontent htlad-observer_article_instream_dsk_1" id="observer_article_instream_dsk_1"></div> <p><a href="https://observer.com/subscribe/" data-lasso-id="1177540"><em><strong>Subscribe to Observer’s Keeping Watch Newsletter</strong></em></a></p> <p>How they do that exactly is well-worth the journey of watching yourself, but suffice to say that a number of Sacha Baron Cohen’s trolling antics amid this year’s coronavirus pandemic make a lot more sense once you watch the film. It uses the father-daughter bonding conceit of Borat and Tutar’s relationship to frame the misadventures that have trickled their way into tabloid news reports.</p> <table width="329" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="5" align="left"> <tbody> <tr> <td> <hr /> <p><strong>BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM ★★★1/2</strong><br /> <strong><em>(3.5/4 stars</em>)</strong><br /> <strong>Directed by:</strong> Jason Woliner<br /> <strong>Written by:</strong> Peter Baynham, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jena Friedman, Anthony Hines, Lee Kern<br /> Dan Mazer, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Swimer<br /> <strong>Starring:</strong> Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova, Mike Pence, Rudy Giuliani, Judith Dim Evans<br /> <strong>Running time:</strong> 96 mins.</p> <hr /> </td> <td width="20"></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>The far-right rally Borat crashed in Olympia, Washington, where he staged a singalong and egged the audience onto chants about injecting kids with the “<a target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.indiewire.com/2020/06/sacha-baron-cohen-far-right-rally-singalong-1234570092/" data-lasso-id="1177542">Wuhan flu</a>“? Look forward to meeting the dudes Borat arrived with. That time earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic when he <a target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.courierpress.com/story/news/2020/10/01/borat-mike-pence-cpac-sacha-baron-cohen-donald-trump-impersonator/5881028002/" data-lasso-id="1177544">crashed Mike Pence’s speech at CPAC, dressed as Donald Trump</a>? Documented spectacularly. His run-in with Rudy Giuliani where the former mayor and Trump surrogate called the cops on a guy in “<a target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://pagesix.com/2020/07/08/rudy-giuliani-called-the-nypd-on-sacha-baron-cohen-over-prank-interview/" data-lasso-id="1177546">a pink transgender outfit</a>“? Just wait till you watch the full hidden camera footage. (For those who don’t want to wait to watch the film, <a target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/jordanzakarin/status/1318946727790022661" data-lasso-id="1177548">this is what happens</a>.)</p> <p>Bakalova, through all of these proceedings, is a revelation as his daughter—an increasingly capable comedic foil who brings a surprising warmth to the role. Tutar’s subplot has her fight for her own agency, a modern spin on the <em>Borat</em> formula that Bakalova sells completely. Borat changes over the course of the film, but it’s Tutar who you’re rooting for, which is probably the film’s best measure of success. The trolling stunts are real, but their characters are fictional, after all.</p><div data-ad="1" class="ad-wrapper ad-top-margin ad-has-disclaimer ad-incontent ad-mobile htlad-observer_article_instream_mobile_2" id="observer_article_instream_mobile_2"></div><div class="ad-wrapper ad-top-margin ad-desktop ad-has-disclaimer ad-incontent htlad-observer_article_instream_dsk_2" id="observer_article_instream_dsk_2"></div> <p>Because the backdrop is real, of course, much of the film finds humor in situations that are, of course, not that funny. Borat interacts with a string of strangers in the middle of a pandemic, to say nothing of Tutar’s arc, which places her in a series of uncomfortable situations with conservatives, racists and pro-lifers where the subjects of the joke are her body and her agency. For all its laughs, <em>Borat Subsequent Moviefilm</em>‘s critique is laser-focused on some of the most serious problems Americans face domestically: authoritarianism, misogyny, bigotry, conspiracy theories and the government’s terrible response to the coronavirus.</p> <p>It’s inevitable that, like the first<em> Borat,</em> plenty of people will probably not jibe with <em>Borat Subsequent Moviefilm</em>. Followers of Qanon will find themselves mocked, correctly. Mike Pence’s face will likely mirror his frown during the film’s CPAC scene. Rudy Giuliani, forever, will hate that this movie exists.</p> <p>And frankly all that alone would justify its existence, but <em>Borat Subsequent Moviefilm</em> doesn’t settle for that. Underneath it all it’s got an empathy and an urgency the first <em>Borat</em> seemed to lack, thanks to its focus and the family at its center. That’s very nice.</p> <p><em><a href="https://observer.com/column/review/" data-lasso-id="1177550">Observer Reviews</a> are regular assessments of new and noteworthy cinema.</em></p><div data-ad="1" class="ad-wrapper ad-top-margin ad-has-disclaimer ad-incontent ad-mobile htlad-observer_article_instream_mobile_3" id="observer_article_instream_mobile_3"></div><div class="ad-wrapper ad-top-margin ad-desktop ad-has-disclaimer ad-incontent htlad-observer_article_instream_dsk_3" id="observer_article_instream_dsk_3"></div> </p> <img itemprop="image" src="https://observer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/10/borat-subsequent-moviefilm-BLOODMOON_Unit_00054R_rgb.jpg?quality=80&w=970" alt="‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ Is a Targeted Takedown of America’s Worst" style="display:none;width:0;"> </div> <footer class="entry-meta"> </footer> </article> <div class="breadcrumbs"> <span class="before-text"> Filed Under:</span> <a href="https://observer.com/entertainment/" aria-label="Read articles filed 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