20 Most Rewatchable Movies Of The 2000s

16. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)

Since debuting Ali G on The 11 O'Clock Show, Sacha Baron Cohen has been the man to beat when it comes to dunking on public figures right to their face. Using a host of characters and disguises, he has sent up journalists, sports stars, geniuses, presidents, and even Jacob Rees-Mogg. But he’s never better than when he’s in the USA, as a humble, grey-suited reporter from Kazakhstan.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan takes its titular character to the big screen in a cross-country US road trip that has him spend time with rodeo cowboys, local TV presenters, an etiquette coach, feminists, racists, and every other strand of the American populace. Undercover mockumentaries have been done before, but never quite like this, with Borat’s journey feeling authentic, all while Baron Cohen systematically tears apart the society, norms, politics, prejudices, and affectations of his unsuspecting victims.

Alas, we may never see Borat in the wild again, as the bit has become so well known that Baron Cohen's ability to slip his character in under the radar and catch people with their trousers down is all but gone. 2020 sequel Borat Subsequent Moviefilm was a valiant effort to keep the character alive, prioritising disguises and his daughter Tutar (Maria Bakalova), but the film doesn't have the spontaneous appeal and staying power of its predecessor. Thus, whenever we want the goods, the original Borat is the only place to go.