Borat 2 was great success for Amazon with tens of millions of viewers

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

After being kept under wraps for months, BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM debuted on Amazon Prime on Friday, and from the sounds of things, it was a great success for the streaming service. According to Amazon, the sequel was streamed by "tens of millions of customers" over the weekend, with over a million fans turning in to with Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) in a live Q&A and participate in a dance party with others from all around the world.

In a statement, Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios said, "Sacha has masterfully created one of the most well received films of these unprecedented times – showcasing some of the best and the worst of us, wrapped in one outrageous moment after another. But at its core, Borat 2 is a heartwarming story of a father daughter relationship and of female empowerment seen through a hysterical, satirical lens. With the tremendous launch of this global, tentpole movie, it’s clear our customers around the world want content that is both relevant and entertaining." The film follows Borat Sagdiyev (Cohen), the now disgraced Kazakhstani journalist who must return to America amid the insanity of the 2020 elections and the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver his daughter (Maria Bakalova) as a gift to Vice President Mike Pence. Although the film couldn't quite match the unpredictability of the original, it has become a success nonetheless,  particularly in these politically-charged times.

Our own Matt Rooney didn't exactly love BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM, but he did say that the sequel is "admittedly better than it could be – even if it’s a shadow of its predecessor" in his review. Rooney also singled out praise for Maria Bakalova, who plays Borat's daugher, Tutar. "Baralova is a tremendous talent and makes an excellent supporting player alongside Cohen – and does just as well when they’re apart – and she does the job of making you care about where her arc is taking her and how that makes Borat change for the better," writes Rooney. "While the first movie has no shortage of sweetness, the sequel’s greatest strength is their relationship, and it’s in these moments together where you can tell Cohen and the half-dozen screenwriters credited were trying to do more with the character beyond putting him in silly interviews." What did you think of BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM?