Ali G: Who Iz I? debuts at 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, well behind the Borat movies
If you were hoping Sacha Baron Cohen’s new Ali G movie would stack up to his Borat films, its early Rotten Tomatoes showing says otherwise.
Right, so Sacha Baron Cohen is dusting off his infamous tracksuit for a new film, but things aren’t going exactly to plan with the critics. His directorial debut, Ali G: Who Iz I?, has turned up on Rotten Tomatoes and, well, the numbers are not exactly banging.
Ali G: Who Iz I? currently sits at a 50% Tomatometer from just 18 critic reviews.
That score could still shift as more critics get their hands on it, but at the moment it’s sitting well below Cohen’s other big headline comedies. So, you’ve got to wonder – is early nostalgia just not cutting through, or has Cohen finally run into material that’s not so bulletproof?
How It Stacks Up
Let’s put this in perspective. Back when Borat (the original) launched, critics were tripping over themselves to shower it with praise – it still holds a whopping 90% score from 219 reviewers. Even the sequel, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, wasn’t far behind, with 85% off more than 300 reviews. And Cohen’s less-loved, but still moderately successful, Brüno managed 68% on the Tomatometer, from 225 critics. So, it’s not just that the new film is a bit lower – it’s quite a drop-off, especially considering the character’s cult status here in the UK.
- Borat (2006): 90% Tomatometer, 219 reviews
- Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020): 85%, 306 reviews
- Brüno (2009): 68%, 225 reviews
- Ali G: Who Iz I? (2026): 50%, 18 reviews (so far)
What’s This One All About Then?
The film sees Ali G returning to the spotlight two decades after his heyday. This time, he finds out his girlfriend Julie – played by Morgana Robinson – is pregnant, and decides he’s got to jet off to America in a bid to win back a bit of that faded glory. Naturally, things don’t go smoothly, and – in classic Cohen style – it’s all about running Ali G up against a world that’s rather moved on since 2002.
Cohen’s gone back to his roots with this one, shooting much of it in secret and sticking to his signature prank style. For context: Ali G actually made his debut back in 1998 on Channel 4’s The 11 O’Clock Show, and then properly blew up with Da Ali G Show and the 2002 film, Ali G Indahouse. Despite the long gap, the new outing wants to recapture the original spark, just in a very different cultural moment.
And for those keeping track, Ali G: Who Iz I? finally lands in cinemas on 23 October 2026, marking not just Cohen’s return in front of the camera but also his first time directing a feature himself.