Genre: Comedy

Age rating: 15

Length: 1h 36m

My rating: 4 stars

Did anyone else feel slightly fatigued at the thought of another Borat film? Sacha Baron-Cohen has done this genre to death by now, hasn’t he? Maybe so, but bringing the film bang up to date by setting it the (still ongoing) Covid-19 pandemic and filming in Trump’s America really was a stroke of genius.

Fourteen years on from the original film, Borat is back with his daughter Tutar, played by Bulgarian newcomer Maria Balaklova. Introducing a family aspect to the story provided a surprising sense of warmth to counter the crass scenes that will have you cringing behind your hands. And let’s face it, Borat is now so widely recognised in America that he needed a sidekick. As Borat and Tutar navigate the country on their quest to ‘gift’ Tutar to an indeterminate US politician, their journey is cleverly interwoven with many extreme and toxic aspects of American society – far right politics, misogyny and anti-semitism. Cue encounters will all sorts of unsuspecting ‘guest stars’ in hilarious but often toe-curling exchanges.

Best bits: Borat’s storming of a Republican conference whilst Mike Pence is speaking, initially dressed in a Ku Klux Klan robe only to swap this for a fat suit and Trump mask is audacious and landed Baron-Cohen another of his series of arrests. The climactic scene with Rulolph Guilani is a major coup and manages to sit just the right side of OK. I could barely look at the promotional poster but the Covid-inspired version of the mankini was too funny.

Fatal flaws: Most of us are well-versed with Sacha Baren-Cohen’s character by now; advice for viewing includes keeping a cushion handy, donning your game face if viewing with older or younger relatives, preparing to feel concurrently amused, shocked and revolted at the sheer audacity of the stunts and the topics discussed.

Fresh or fruity?: Definitely Fresh. Really enjoyable but choose your viewing companions carefully.

Find it on: Amazon Prime Video