Ali G: Who Iz I?, Sacha Baron Cohen’s return to his controversial comedy character, opens in US theatres on October 23, 2026, through Amazon MGM Studios. The film marks Cohen’s feature directorial debut, with the comedian playing Ali G and two additional characters alongside Morgana Robinson. Cohen co-wrote the screenplay with Anthony Hines, Peter Baynham, Dan Swimer, Dan Mazer and Keisha Zollar. Rated R, the comedy has received a mixed response from critics, with some praising its outrageous set pieces while others question whether its style of satire remains effective for contemporary audiences.
At the time of writing, the film holds a 50% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 18 reviews, although the figure may change as more reviews are added. The critical divide centres on whether Cohen’s familiar brand of provocation can still deliver meaningful satire in a political and cultural environment that has changed considerably since Ali G first became popular.
The story follows Ali G, who is short of money and living with his pregnant girlfriend, Julie, played by Robinson. After discovering an old fax from HBO that appears to offer him another television show, Ali travels to the United States with Julie, hoping to revive his career. However, the opportunity turns out to be based on an outdated offer, forcing him to find another route back to fame.
His return brings him into conflict with Dr. Nira Cain-N’Degrocello, an ultra-progressive professor played by Cohen. The comedian also reprises his Who Is America? character, Colonel Erran Morad. Combining scripted comedy with elaborate pranks and interactions involving unsuspecting participants, the film uses political divisions and cultural tensions as the basis for its satire. The Guardian describes a farcical storyline involving Ali, Julie and politically motivated attempts to prevent their child from being born on American soil.
Some critics argue that the film struggles to translate its provocative premise into consistently effective comedy. Todd Gilchrist of TheWrap delivers one of the harshest assessments, arguing that the humour has difficulty landing in a cultural landscape that has changed considerably since Ali G first became popular. In his view, the threshold for genuine transgression has risen, making it harder for the character’s familiar provocations to generate the same impact. Gilchrist describes the film as painfully humourless, suggesting that its attempts to shock audiences fail to produce the reaction Cohen appears to be seeking.
Variety critic Owen Gleiberman similarly questions the film’s approach. Comparing it with character-driven comedy films such as MacGruber and A Night at the Roxbury, Gleiberman finds scattered moments of humour but argues that the film becomes cumbersome and less relevant than it believes itself to be. He suggests that making Ali G himself the central subject of the satire weakens the material, particularly when compared with Cohen’s earlier work, which often exposed the prejudices and assumptions of unsuspecting interviewees.
Barry Hertz of The Globe and Mail is even more critical, describing the film as a deeply disappointing return for a performer once known for his sharp satire. His review argues that Cohen has struggled to evolve alongside the culture he is attempting to satirise. Jeff Ewing of The Playlist also finds the film stuck in the past, questioning whether its central character and style of humour remain effective today.
However, the response is not uniformly negative. Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter gives the film a positive assessment, noting that Cohen’s comic instincts and quick improvisational style still produce plenty of laughs despite the film’s shortcomings. Ed Potton of The Times also offers a favourable review. While acknowledging that the plot is flimsy and not every gag works, Potton finds the successful jokes highly entertaining.
Helen O’Hara of Empire is also among the critics reported to have given the film a positive score. Time Out awards it three out of five stars, with Phil de Semlyen describing the comedy as hit-and-miss but occasionally very funny, with several outrageous set pieces. His review also notes Cohen’s return to the prank-based approach associated with Borat, rather than relying on the more conventional narrative structure of the 2002 film Ali G Indahouse.
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian offers a more critical assessment, arguing that viewers who enjoyed Ali G originally may find the new film less satisfying, while those who considered the character offensive may feel their concerns have been reinforced. Bradshaw acknowledges that some of the pranks are funny but believes the film struggles to recapture the impact of Cohen’s earlier work. He also questions whether the character’s humour has aged well, suggesting that the strongest moments may work better as short clips shared online than as part of a feature-length film.
The political dimension is central to the debate surrounding Ali G: Who Iz I?. Cohen has revived the character in a cultural environment where Ali G’s appropriation of cultural identities and outdated attitudes are more difficult to overlook. The film attempts to examine those issues while also mocking the political extremes surrounding them, including anti-woke rhetoric and an exaggerated form of progressive activism represented by Dr. Nira Cain-N’Degrocello.
However, Variety argues that the attempt to make Ali G himself the political subject is more ambitious than the material can sustain. The review suggests that the character’s outdated worldview is not sufficient on its own to create the incisive satire that distinguished Cohen’s earlier projects. TheWrap similarly questions whether the film’s provocations can generate meaningful comedy when its targets and themes are already familiar to contemporary audiences.
The film also features deliberately outrageous set pieces, including an AI-generated apology video featuring figures such as Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur and Nelson Mandela. Such sequences reflect Cohen’s continued interest in pushing uncomfortable situations to absurd extremes. Yet critics remain divided over whether the shock value translates into effective satire or merely repeats a formula that has lost some of its force.
The reviews ultimately present Ali G: Who Iz I? as an uneven comeback. Some critics believe Cohen retains the ability to deliver outrageous and occasionally hilarious comedy, while others argue that the film relies too heavily on a character and style of provocation that no longer carry the same impact. The more favourable assessments point to the performer’s improvisational instincts and the effectiveness of individual gags, while the negative reviews question the coherence and relevance of the satire as a whole.
The critical split raises a broader question about the longevity of established comedy characters. Ali G’s original appeal depended on the tension between his exaggerated persona and the reactions he provoked. In returning to the character years later, Cohen faces the challenge of making that tension work for audiences who are more familiar with his methods and the political and cultural subjects he targets. Whether the film succeeds depends, for its critics, on whether its outrageous moments offer a fresh perspective or simply revisit a form of provocation that has become less surprising.
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Film Details: Ali G: Who Iz I?
- Director: Sacha Baron Cohen
- Writers: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Peter Baynham, Dan Swimer, Dan Mazer and Keisha Zollar
- Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Morgana Robinson, Stewart Rodeheaver
- Producers: Sacha Baron Cohen, Dan Mazer, Andrew Eaton, Kevin Loader and Peter Baynham
- Music: Erran Baron Cohen and Nami Melumad
- Genre: Comedy / Satire
- Rating: R
- Distributor: Amazon MGM Studios
- US Release Date: October 23, 2026
