I’ve watched the new Ali G: Who Iz I? trailer twice, and the first thing you need to know is that the funniest part isn’t Ali G—it’s Borat showing up to tell you not to watch the film. That is exactly the kind of in-on-the-joke chaos that makes this feel like a proper Sacha Baron Cohen return rather than a lazy nostalgia grab.
Here’s what we know. Ali G: Who Iz I? is the new mockumentary from Sacha Baron Cohen, who directs for the first time on one of these projects. Morgana Robinson also stars. Amazon MGM Studios has dated it for cinemas on October 23.
What the trailer promises
The pitch is Ali G trying to modernize: he claims he’s making “the first film with real people, not actors,” so a documentary crew follows him through his clueless attempts to stay relevant. There are TikToks, trend-chasing, and a trip to America after Julie—his long-term girlfriend—drops the news that she’s eight months pregnant. The synopsis teases “adversaries” who threaten him and the child, which gives the comedy a faintly dangerous spine.
What it holds back
Smartly, the trailer keeps most of the real set-pieces hidden. We see Borat, but the film itself seems built around Ali G plus two Who Is America? characters, Dr. Nira Cain-N’Degeocello and Erran Morad, returning in their own segments. What remains unclear is how much Borat is in the film versus how much he’s just gatecrashing the marketing. I’d bet on the latter, and honestly, it works.
The moment everyone will talk about
It has to be Borat’s warning: he tells you not to watch because the film is “not racist enough.” That line takes the old criticism of Cohen’s comedy and turns it into the trailer’s own punchline. It’s risky, self-aware, and exactly the energy a 2026 Ali G film needs if it’s going to be more than a nostalgia piece.
Where this sits for Cohen and Amazon MGM
For Cohen, this is a return to the character that started it all, but from a different position: he’s now a director, a satirist with Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and Who Is America? behind him, and someone who can use a trailer as meta-commentary. For Amazon MGM, it’s a theatrical bet on provocation at a time when comedy sequels often play it safe.
Honest verdict
I’m in. The trailer promises a film that knows its character is a relic and decides to make that the joke. It could still end up as a series of good bits stretched to feature length, but with Cohen directing and Borat doing the anti-sell, the worst case is a messy, fascinating comedy. The best case is the Ali G film I didn’t think we’d get. For now, that’s worth a ticket.
Watch the original: Amazon MGM Studios and Ali G on YouTube
Source: JoBlo Media Inc
