Why is Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Doing So Well?
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
Today’s article is going to be brief.
I don’t get why Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is doing so well in the awards season.
It got nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy category, which makes sense. It won said category over Hamilton and Palm Springs (but at least it beat Music, right?), which doesn’t really make sense. But, hey. The Golden Globes are their own little world. That’s okay.
Now, the Producers Guild of America have announced their nominees; these usually set the tone for the Best Picture Oscar race very heavily. So, what’s there next to acclaimed works like Nomadland and Minari, aesthetic treats like Mank, powerful films like Judas and the Black Messiah, and dark horses like Promising Young Woman? No. Not The Father. Not the grossly underrated Da 5 Bloods. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. That film is up for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures. Basically, their “Best Picture”.
I don’t even hate Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. I actually found it quite funny, and good enough to give a decent score. If anything, I am actually in full support of Maria Bakalova’s Supporting Actress campaign (she just won the Critics’ Choice Award). If anything, she is the one element of the film I completely endorse to do well, given how many scenes she stole, and how nuanced her character was (even at her most outrageous moments). However, it’s everything else that I don’t understand. I know the 2020 awards season is weak, given the pandemic, but is Borat Subsequent Moviefilm really the best we have to offer? I adore the original Borat and, again, like this sequel, but it just doesn’t make any sense as to how it’s getting considered for these massive awards. I’d even have no problem with Sacha Baron Cohen getting more love for his acting (he did win a Golden Globe as well). It’s just… this film… taking away the spot of more deserving works… it’s starting to bother me.
Why is it doing so well? The obvious reason is the promotional push, which started out as a campaign for Bakalova (again, full endorsement) and branched out into an “everything” type of strategy. After the Golden Globes wins, I guess they could go this route. Also, who are “they”? Amazon Studios, of course. They have all of the promotional goods without quite the same “streaming service” stench that Netflix has unfortunately garnered (awards seasons hate those, and I’m guessing Da 5 Bloods’ complete lack of existence in this season is partly due to its Netflix home base), so they can go all in if they want (and, well, they have). I also think the liberal voters love the anti republican stance Borat Subsequent Moviefilm has going for it, and I don’t see a problem with that, but appreciating these jabs is one thing; selecting a film that’s pretty good but not great for BEST PICTURE awards is a whole different ball game.
Not that any of these awards greatly matter, but Borat Subsequent Moviefilm being considered for such high awards even this deeply into the season is slightly peculiar to the point of being marginally worrisome (I sadly follow these awards far too closely). There have been worse films to do well (and better), and maybe it’s just the absurdity of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm doing so well (even when the vastly superior Borat didn’t do quite as well, outside of some screenwriting appreciation and its Golden Globes run). I think I’m just starting to notice how strongly the film is still doing, and it’s unsettling.
But please do consider Maria Bakalova for Best Supporting Actress: her performance transcends the crazy film it is a part of as a fantastic work of comedy, satire, commentary, and mockumentary immersion.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.