Borat Subsequent Moviefilm beautifully expands the scope of its ridiculous premise and even lays the groundwork for Borat 3. Directed by Jason Woliner, the 2020 sequel addresses relevant sociopolitical issues while making various thematic connections to the broader life of its mustached antihero, Borat Margaret Sagdiyev. Moving forward, the premise and setting for Borat 3 will likely depend on what transpires in America and beyond after the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
At 96 minutes, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm moves along relatively quickly. Having been punished and shunned for shaming his country in the first movie, Borat leaves a work labor camp after 14 years and immediately receives a government mission in America. Compared to the original 2006 film, there’s a little more depth in the sequel through the inclusion of Borat’s 15 year-old daughter, Tutar (Maria Bakalova). Within 15 minutes, the stakes are set: Borat must gift Jonny the Monkey (the #1 celebrity in Kazakhstan) to a powerful U.S. politician (or die). Tutar smuggles herself into Jonny’s crates and then chases after her own American dream of becoming the next Melania Trump.
In Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, the new landscape of American politics forces Borat to reassess his parenting techniques. Cohen doesn’t merely point a finger only at Republicans and President Trump, as he also provides social commentary about influential liberals. Tutar grows up without the knowing the facts about her body and what she can accomplish in life, but eventually speaks up for herself upon being told that she should appear “weak” to men. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm has received a great deal of press attention because of the featured politicians such as Rudy Giuliani and Mike Pence, but perhaps more people should be talking about how the final minutes of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm set up a bigger and better mockumentary about the weirdly wonderful Sagdiyevs and the surrounding world they’re trying in good faith (but poor execution) to understand.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm features a happy ending that also remains true to its comedic premise. After a clever real-world tie-in that positions as Borat as COVID-19’s “Patient Zero,” he threatens to expose a government official and makes a deal for Kazakhstan to become a “feminist nation.” Between that concept and the fact that both of the Sagdiyevs are now working journalists, they can team up to protect their homeland through factual reporting while setting their sights on relevant issues around the world. Borat 3 could once again focus on American society and politics. Given Borat’s new perspective, however, a third franchise installment may take place closer to home, whether it’s within Cohen’s native England or somewhere near Borat’s roots in Kazakhstan.
The Borat 3 storyline will depend on Cohen’s creative vision, and willingness to revive the character for another installment. Amazon Prime subscribers likely wouldn’t mind another accessible, 90-minute comedy. When Borat released in 2006, social media hadn’t quite yet taken over the world. In the present, many people are worried about about the world of tomorrow. With Borat 3, Cohen could do what Adam Sandler continues to shy away from with his Happy Madison Netflix productions – to challenge himself (and audiences) with a comedy that hits all the familial story beats, but also has a deeper message.
