16 Movies Like Borat

Posted on Published: December 2, 2021 - Last updated: March 17, 2022

Borat is pitched as a documentary, or rather a mockumentary, about American society and its culture. Borat is an over-the-top oddball character that interacts with real people in genuine chaotic situations with often hysterical consequences. The movie makes us laugh at ourselves, reminding us that we are only human after all.

Movies like Borat:

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Anchorman
The Dictator
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
The Death Of Stalin
This Is Spinal Tap
Popstar
Idiocracy
Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back
C.S.A.: The Confederate States Of America
Best In Show
Bob Roberts
A Mighty Wind
7 Days Of Hell
Vice
Nightcrawler

Most of the movies listed above are satirical and use the guise of a documentary/mockumentary to poke fun with human society. Humor is often the best way to highlight cultural issues and how things are in certain areas of life, without the danger of hurting anyone’s feelings.

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1. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)

Director: Jason Woliner

Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova, Tom Hanks, and Dani Popescu

The Plot

It’s been fourteen years since Kazakh reporter Borat Sagdiyev experienced a cultural shock on his investigative visit to America. Borat is called into Kazakhstan’s Premier Nursultan Nazarbayev’s office and given a life-or-death task to perform.

Borat needs to redeem himself and his country by visiting Donald Trump’s America and delivering an exceptional gift to Vice President Mike Pence. Borat did not expect his newfound teenage daughter, Tutar, to enter the picture and change his well-thought-out plans.

The now-famous Borat takes a detour, and he and his daughter dive into U.S. politics, learning a thing or two about racism, feminism, and a virus called Covid-19. Add some more direct jabs at the American society. With real-life scenes at political rallies, Borat gets under the skin of the American people.

Will the fourth-best journalist in Kazakhstan complete his mission and deliver the exceptional gift?

2. Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Director: Adam McKay

Cast: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Dawid Koechner, and Fred Willard

The Plot

Journalism was a well-respected profession in 1970’s San Diego. The top anchorman in the business at that time was Ron Burgundy. Ron’s team consisted of a former baseball player, jock Champ Kind as a sports journalist, slightly dim-witted weatherman Brick Tamland, and ladies’ man Brian Fantana, who was responsible for on-field reporting.

The rampant sexism you found in the workplace is about to be addressed by Ron’s T.V. station, as they decide to embrace diversity and hire the first female news anchor, the beautiful Veronica Corningstone. The male-dominated broadcasting world is about to change.

Veronica’s arrival threatens the fragile egos of the all-male award-winning crew. The men try every trick in the book to make her quit, or better yet, leave. Their derogatory remarks only fuel her ambition, and while Ron’s team is busy drinking, flirting, and fighting with rival news teams, Veronica slowly works her way to the top.

Ron can’t handle Veronica’s success; it drives him crazy. Veronica’s meddling eventually leads to Ron being fired from the station. The question is can Ron make it back to the top, the same top that Veronica has taken over?

3. The Dictator (2012)

Director: Larry Charles

Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, John C. Reilly, Ben Kingsley, and Rocky Citron

The Plot

Admiral General Hafez Aladeen rules the Republic of Wadiya with an iron fist and is one of the last old-school dictators. The Admiral enjoys unlimited wealth due to the rich oil fields located in his country. He loves to execute anyone that disagrees with him.

He has staged an Olympics where he wins every gold medal and substituted 300 words in his native language with his name. He is that self-obsessed.

Aladeen is summoned to New York by order of the U.N. to speak at an assembly regarding his country’s nuclear weapons program. Unbeknownst to him, his minister, Tamir, is plotting to topple him. The person assigned to protect him is a torturer that has instructions to kill him.

When the assassination attempt goes wrong, Aladeen manages to escape with his trademark beard cut off in the process.

Aladeen meets a young protestor, Zoey, who takes him in and offers him a job. Just another face in the New York crowd, and already replaced by a body double acting like him, can Aladeen save his country that is about to be sold to the highest oil bidder.

4. Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (1998)

Director: Terry Gilliam

Cast: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Tobey Maquire, Mark Harmon, and Michael Lee Gogin

The Plot

The movie is the adaption of the Hunter S. Thomson novel by the same name. Raoul Duke, a reporter, and his crazy lawyer, Dr. Gonzo, purchase enough drugs to fit in a suitcase. The pair uses the advance given to them by a magazine that wants them to cover a desert race called the Mint 400 in Las Vegas.

They fill up the Red Shark, a red convertible, and start their search for the “American Dream.”

Armed with a cocktail of drugs, including liquor, marijuana, cocaine, mescaline, ether, L.S.D., ludes, the trip turned out to be a fearful, loathing, and at times hilarious adventure. Throw in a diverse pool of people, including police, gamblers, reporters, racers, and a hitchhiker, and you get hilarious interactions while chasing the dream.

“Our trip was different; it was to be a classic affirmation of everything right and true in the national character. A gross physical salute to the fantastic possibilities of life in this country, but only for those with True Grit.”

5. The Death Of Stalin (2017)

Director: Armando Iannucci

Cast: Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Jeffrey Tambor, Andrea Riseborough, Tom Brooke, and Paddy Considine

The Plot

Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin, has been in charge for nearly thirty years of the Soviet Union. The people who live under the Great Terror’s heavy cloak of daily arrests leading to torture, execution, or banishment are used to the leader’s cruel ways and paranoia.

During a concert in 1953, Stalin collapsed and presumably died in his office. His body is discovered hours later, as even those close to him are wary of intruding in his personal space. Like a spreading virus, the senior members of the Council of Ministers scramble to weed out competition among themselves, maintain some form of order, and take over the country.

It’s a mad rollercoaster ride of tireless machinations, plotting, and weak alliances. No one is safe in the race for absolute power.

6. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

Director: Rob Reiner

Cast: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Kimberley Stringer, and David Kaff

The Plot

Documentary filmmaker, Marti DeBergi, gets a whiff of the English heavy metal band Spinal Tap plans to tour the U.S. to promote their new album “Smell the Glove.” He decides to film the band’s journey across America. The rockumentary starts well, with sold-out venues, but the audiences begin to dwindle, forcing the band to play at charity events and private parties.

Spinal Tap’s popularity is not what it once was. Besides low audience attendance, they have to navigate canceled events, a sexist album cover resulting in low record sales, and an interfering girlfriend who wants to manage the band.

A series of incidents keep shooting the band in the proverbial foot, and this mockumentary (which it is) is a satirical and spoofy look at the rock and roll scene as a whole. Can Spinal Tap rescue this tour from hell?

7. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)

Director: Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone

Cast: Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer, Sarah Silverman, Tim Meadows, Maya Rudolph, Joan Cusack, and Imogen Poots

The Plot

Conner4Real is a former band member of the rap group Style Boyz. When he left them for a solo career as a pop artist, he became a famous artist with a glittering career. That is until his latest solo album, ConnQuest, fails to sell the number of records needed to stay on top of the pops.

As his life is spinning out of control and his celebrity status at stake, Conner4Real will do anything to stay relevant in the music business. He is not the first artist that sells his soul to the devil and won’t be the last. He will not reunite with his old band, the Style Boyz, as they resent each other.

The public, on the other hand, is all for this reunion. Instead, Connor4Real is involved in some severe public relations nightmares that only further destroy his image. Will he be able to cast aside his humongous ego, make amends with his old crew, or will he star fade out like hundreds before him?

8. Idiocracy (2006)

Director: Mike Judge

Cast: Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, Terry Crews, and Justin Long

The Plot

Private Joe Bauers is an average soldier with an average I.Q., selected to participate in a highly classified program called Human Hibernation Project. Officer Collins picked Joe for his averageness. The mission is to hibernate in a pod with a prostitute called Rita as a test subject for one year.

When Officer Collins is arrested for participating in a prostitution ring, Joe and Rita are left in the secret pods. An incredible five hundred years later, Joe manages to escape the pod, and what he finds is a dumbed-down nation, where he is the most intelligent person alive.

He is nonetheless imprisoned due to not having any identification or money. After the powers that be learn that he is “super” intelligent, President Camacho offers him a pardon if he can help with the nationwide problems regarding the crops. Joe accepts the role of Secretary of Interior, and with the help of Rita, tries to help the dumbed-down society.

9. Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)

Director: Kevin Smith

Cast: Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Will Ferrell, Shannon Elizabeth, Eliza Dushku, and Ali Larter

The Plot

The popular comic book “Bluntman and Chronic” is about to be made into a big-screen adaptation. Real-life stoners Jay and Silent Bob is the inspiration for the comic. When the pair are excluded from any profit derived from the movie, they decide to set out and wreck the production side of things.

They learn about the road’s rules from a hitchhiking George Carlin, get a ride with some beautiful jewel thieves, and manage to infuriate a wildlife marshal when they liberate an orangutan named Suzanne. All of this transpires and more as they move from New Jersey to Hollywood, where a big showdown awaits.

10. C.S.A.: The Confederate States Of America (2004)

Director: Kevin Willmott

Cast: Greg Kirsch, Renee Patrick, Molly Graham, and William Willmott

The Plot

The B.B.C. is examining the history of the American nation, set in an alternative world where the Confederate States of America won the Civil War. The documentary retells the history beginning in 1863, where the Southern States, with the assistance of British and French troops, won the decisive victory at the battle for Gettysburg.

A short time after the battle is “lost,” Ulysses S. Grant surrenders to Robert E. Lee, Abraham Lincoln escapes to Canada, and Boston and New York are burned to ashes. The right to own slaves is now part of the Constitution. The Confederate State of America today is now the most powerful nation in the world.

Slavery is the economic backbone of the C.S.A., and leaders regard it as endemic to the nation’s quality. This government is blind to the human rights of black people until a slave brings forward some shocking information, information that can rupture the political structure of the C.S.A.

11. Best In Show (2000)

Director: Christopher Guest

Cast: Fred Willard, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Jennifer Coolidge, and Jay Brazeau

The Plot

It’s the prestigious Mayflower Dog Show, and the owners of five show dogs prepare themselves for the competition. A documentary film crew joins the contestants at Philly’s Taft Hotel and proceeds to capture both the excitement and tension on camera.

The eccentric bunch of dog owners comes from across the country, and each has their unique way of communicating and preparing their dog for the contest. Throw in an inept commentator who tries his best to provide tidbits about the breeds, and you have a recipe for hilarious satire. The dog show brings out the essence of each owner, be it good or bad.

12. Bob Roberts (1992)

Director: Tim Robbins

Cast: Tim Robbins, Alan Rickman, Giancarlo Esposito, Ray Wise, and Rebecca Jenkins

The Plot

The race for the U.S. Senate is on. Bob Roberts is a conservative millionaire folk singer who plans to run against an incumbent senator. Bob has a different approach to campaigning; he sings at the rallies he organizes. The message is in his 60’s styled songs, evoking far-right themes on the people.

Bob also has no qualms using smear campaigns and dirty tricks to gain an advantage over his opponent. The mockumentary style of the movie offers an inside look into how propaganda is used in modern-day politics. Seeing that this is a political movie, a journalist is investigating Bob’s potential involvement in a drug ring, and there’s also an assassination plot developing.

13. A Mighty Wind (2003)

Director: Christopher Guest

Cast: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Michael Mckean, Harry Shearer, and Mary Gross

The Plot

Folk icon, Irving Steinbloom, passed away, leaving a legacy of folk music and a “family” of performers behind. A family he has guided to folk stardom. Irving’s son Jonathan decides to hold a memorial concert for his dad to properly celebrate his life that was intertwined with folk.

Contacting three disbanded folk groups, Irving’s best-loved musicians, they agree to perform at this unique memorial and reunion concert. The movie pokes fun at everything folk, the 60’s, and show business in general. Join the three groups as they gather together and perform the music that nearly made them famous.

14. 7 Days In Hell (2015)

Director: Jake Szymanksi

Cast: Andy Sandberg, Kit Harrington, Fred Armisen, David Copperfield, Howie Mandell, and John McEnroe

The Plot

Aaron Williams was found on the streets by Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard, who adopted him.

Aaron trains to be a tennis star and reach the 1996 Wimbledon Final. During the match, one of his servants hits a linesman, who has a heart attack and dies on the court. Aaron never recovers and loses the championship.

At the ceremony, Aaron pushes Prince Edward, and the “Bad Boy of Tennis” disappears.

Aaron resurfaces in Sweden, where he creates a male underwear line. He soon runs out of funds as the underwear chaffs the wearers’ groin, descending into pornography and a P.C.P. addiction. Soon he finds himself locked up in a Swedish prison.

Charles Poole, a child prodigy, is forced into a tennis career by his mother. She threatens to disown him if he loses matches. As a fifteen-year-old, he was asked who his tennis idol was, and he answered that it was Aaron Williams.

Two weeks before Wimbledon 2001, he declares that he is a better player than Aaron.

Aaron hears about the claim and forces himself into the tournament. His first-round opponent is the very same Charles Poole. What follows is the longest match in Wimbledon history, an astonishing seven-day match.

15. Vice (2018)

Director: Adam McKay

Cast: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Alison Pill, and Tyler Perry

The Plot

The movie tells the story of the “Vice,” better known as Dick Cheney. From dropping out of Yale University, doing odd jobs in the early ’60s, to becoming Vice President in the Bush administration from 2000-2008.

Taken under the wing of Donald Rumsfeld when he was still an intern in the Richard Nixon administration, the mentorship paved the way for his rise through the White House ranks. He lost his job during the Jimmy Carter administration; he became the CEO OF Halliburton. He held this position until the relatively inexperienced George W. Bush asked him to be his running mate.

The decision would grant him the power to be the man that pulled the strings regarding foreign policy. Manipulating the system for his benefit, he gets elected as Vice President, where he got to work behind the scenes, becoming a much more powerful politician. Cheney becomes even more powerful than if he had been elected as the President of the United States.

16. Nightcrawler (2014)

Director: Dan Gilroy

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, Riz Ahmed, and James Huang

The Plot

Lou Bloom is an unemployed petty thief loner, making ends meet by selling anything he gets his hands on. One night he comes across a horrific car accident and is amazed to see seasoned “Nightcrawler” Joe Loder taking video footage of the scene, which he sells to the local network stations.

Lou decides there and then that “night crawling” is his new profession. He buys a police scanner and an old video camera, hires an assistant navigator, and starts capturing newsworthy crime scenes. He sells the footage to one of Joe’s regular buyers, Nina, a local T.V. producer.

The nocturnal underbelly of Los Angeles is a cutthroat and dangerous place for a “Nightcrawler,” and Joe is not against manipulating a crime scene to create a picture that will get him higher pay. When he starts hiding evidence for future use, two homicide detectives become suspicious.

The lines between observer and participant slowly become blurred as Lou becomes the star of his own story.

Conclusion

If you enjoyed the movie Borat, then the above-listed movies are for you. Although no movie can match the Borat phenomenon’s spectacle, each one of the movies has an element of Borat in them. The films force you to think about how fickle our society can be at times through the use of parody, and I hope there is a laugh or two for you when making your way through the list.

References:

ScreenRant: 10 Films To Watch If You Liked Borat

Bilbr: 12 Best Movies Like Borat

The Cinemaholic: Movies Like Borat | 7 Best Comedy Films Similar to Borat

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