Where to begin with Borat Subsequent Moviefilm? From ridiculous slapstick, snide political jabs and jokes so offensive you have to watch them through your fingers, this Borat sequel is everything you would expect and more.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm begins 14 years after the original left off, the infamous reporter is sent back to the US-and-A to fix his home country's ruined reputation by gifting Vice President Mike Pence Kazakhstan's minister of culture: Johnny the Monkey. Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) is transported in a cargo boat across the ocean and arrives in Texas, only to find that his daughter, Tutar (Maria Bakalova), has stowed away with him, and has eaten Johnny along the way. Bereft in Texas with the threat of execution hanging over his head, Borat decides to give Tutar to Pence instead, as the "new Melania Trump".
The unwitting targets this time around are all the more dumbfounding, the levels of perversion, bigotry and ignorance is astounding.
This movie has a clear political motive barely concealed beneath the ridiculous comedy. The satire is unmissable, and it is some of the most cutting seen in recent times. It would be easy to cast this movie aside as an offensive, racist, insensitive mistake but I think that would be missing the bigger picture. The racism and bigotry displayed, while uncomfortable, is extremely real and prevalent in the 21st century and Borat certainly doesn't let you forget it. The unwitting targets this time around are all the more dumbfounding, the levels of perversion, bigotry and ignorance is astounding.
Aside from two delightfully heartwarming exceptions (Babysitter Jeanise Jones and Holocaust survivor Judith Dim Evans) everyone is more than accepting of Borat's misogyny and shocking anti-semitism and are more than happy to agree, or go even further. Never does it feel as though these people have been caught out saying something horrible, the discourse in America has got to a point where these disgusting attitudes are acceptable and commonplace.
On a brighter note, Maria Bakalova is a shining star in the chaos of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. After escaping her imprisonment in a barn in Kazakhstan, Tutar has an empowering and heartwarming journey as she worms out the lies and stigma placed upon her and starts a new feminist movement in her home country. Bakalova gives an incredible performance and delivers on the laughs, as well as somehow making Borat himself into an endearing character as he opens up to the daughter he never knew he had.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is available to watch on Amazon Prime now.
Feature image credit: IMDb
