How to watch Borat 2
High five!
Sacha Baron Cohen's iconic character Borat made an explosive return at the weekend with a long-awaited sequel about the Kazakhstani reporter.
The mockumentary, which saw Borat travel once again to America – this time with his long-lost daughter Tutar (Maria Bakalov) – to deliver a bribe to Vice President Mike Pence, became one of the most-talked about films of the month on Friday, mainly thanks to a scene featuring Donald Trump's lawyer and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.
While on their quest to curry favour with the leaders of the free world, Borat and Tutar find themselves in a variety of cringeworthy situations – from performing a fertility dance at a Southern American debutante ball, to bursting into a Republican convention dressed as Donald Trump.
Baron Cohen recently revealed to The New York Times that revisiting Borat during lockdown was one of his most gruelling stunts to date, adding that he had to be in character for five days whilst living in a house with "two conspiracy theorists".
Wondering whether it's worth the watch? Here's everything you need to know about Borat 2, how to watch it and whether it's any good.
Borat 2 release date
Borat 2 was released on October 23rd and fans are now able to watch Sacha Baron Cohen's eagerly-awaited sequel on Amazon Prime Video.
How to watch Borat 2 in the UK
You can watch Borat 2 in the UK on Amazon Prime Video, which you'll be able to access with a Prime subscription – the film arrived on the platform on Friday 23rd October.
Amazon revealed that Prime Video would be the home to Borat Subsequent Moviefilm back in September.
You can sign up for Amazon Prime for £7.99 a month with a 30-day free trial.
Borat 2 review: Is Borat 2 any good?
The first reviews for Borat 2 are in, with critics generally applauding the comedy. Subsequent Moviefilm currently holds an 84 per cent score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
In particular, the sharp satire of the film has been praised, with The Independent declaring the project “a jaw-dropping expose of America in the here and now” in a four-star review. Similarly, the BBC said, “it’s the ripped-from-the-headlines relevance that makes it so fascinating”.
In a largely positive review, Variety labelled Borat 2 as “a staggering act of comedic revolt with built-in viral potential".
However, not all feedback has been completely positive. Gifting the movie only three stars, The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw wondered if the character was “overstaying its welcome”.
The Daily Mail labelled the sequel as "crass, vulgar and unutterably puerile" but added that those that loved the original Borat "will be smitten again".
However, K Austin Collins at ] Rolling Stone applauded Baron Cohen's courage in the film, noting: "It's the high-wire act that makes the movie so good – the dangers Cohen dives into headfirst, against all better judgement."
Borat 2 cast: Who is Maria Bakalova?
While many viewers watched the film for Borat, many found that he was almost overshadowed by his co-star Maria Bakalova, who plays Borat's estranged 15-year-old daughter Tutar Sagdiyev.
The 24-year-old Bulgarian actress trained at The Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia, where she graduated in 2019. She has mainly featured in Bulgarian films.
Various others appear in the film including Tom Hanks and former New York mayor and Trump advisor Rudy Giuliani, who agrees to be interviewed by Borat's daughter Tutar, who is posing as a reporter.
Borat 2 trailer
A teaser trailer for Borat 2 was released in September, in which Borat praised Donald Trump as the "strongest premier in history" after his recent Presidential election debate.
The trailer sees Baron Cohen as Borat, poking fun at the President in his signature style.
A full trailer was released in October, teasing some of the adventures Borat embarks on in the sequel, from shopping for disguises to getting pulled over by police for making his daughter sit on top of his car while he drives.
What is Borat 2 about?
In this Borat sequel, we follow the Kazakhstani journalist as he quarantines in America and attempts to "give his daughter as a gift to someone close to the throne" in the US – which judging by the trailer, is Republican Vice President Mike Pence.
Throughout the film, we watch as Borat, who is now a pariah after disgracing Kazakhstan in his last movie, attempt to please his country's leader by delivering a bribe to someone high up in Trump's administration – but as to be expected, things don't go entirely to plan.
According to Deadline, the sequel was shot discreetly and quickly in the US as the COVID-19 shutdown restrictions were eased within the film industry. Filming reportedly took place in the US and overseas, with Cohen having to wear a bulletproof vest on two shoots.
Sacha Baron Cohen's 2006 comedy classic Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan made over $262 million (£204 million) and achieved critical acclaim.
Sign up for Amazon Prime for £7.99 a month with a 30-day free trial. Check out our lists of the best Amazon Prime series and best Amazon Prime movies, or visit our TV Guide to find something else to watch.
