Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest comedic outing as his unique, hip-hop-loving journalist is heading to Prime Video after a short theatrical run. Characters like Borat have become better known thanks to the wide-reaching success of movies based on the eccentric persona. Still, it all started with the Da Ali G Show back in 2000. Cohen developed numerous characters throughout the sketch show’s run, connecting with British audiences before the show debuted on HBO.
The character thrives on awkward humor, with Ali G as an unintelligent, over-the-top figure placed in front of distinguished people and authority figures who try to interact with him as if he were real. It’s a unique form of gotcha journalism that mixes comedic performance with real-world stories. Cohen cultivated similar setups with his Borat and Bruno characters, finding success through a distinct brand. Ali G: Who Iz I is the actor’s latest outing as a hip-hop journalist, where he’s found washed up with his girlfriend, eight months pregnant.
After a misunderstanding, the character believes he’s owed money for another HBO series, setting him on a quest to raise funds through his old interview schemes. The movie received a limited theatrical release beginning October 23, 2026, with outlets reporting it played in roughly 125 theaters. Amazon MGM Studios also chose not to publicly report the film’s grosses.
Ali G: Who Iz I was intended to play in more theaters, but it drew online backlash from those who see the character as an unflattering, outdated stereotype. Still, Cohen’s comedy was always meant to provoke a reaction. Now, after just a single weekend in theaters, the new Ali G movie has already announced its streaming release date.
Cohen posted a video on the official Ali G Instagram page announcing that Who Iz I will stream on Prime Video on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. The video also included a written announcement in the style of Ali G, which reads:
“Me movie comin to Prime Video dis Wendesday, it 89 minute long, dere’s 14400 minutes in a day meanin u’ll be able to watch it 161 times a day for de rest of ya lives for free.”
Reviews haven’t been glowing for Ali G: Who Iz I, with the film currently holding a 48% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s Critics Consensus calls it “a scattershot comedy with some amusing pranks that otherwise only serves to underscore Ali G’s faded satirical value.” With the limited theatrical release, the film still has no audience score, which will likely arrive in the coming days as it hits Prime Video.
However, much like the first film, Ali G: Indahouse (2002), critics and audiences may agree when the final numbers are tallied. Indahouse holds a 59% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences close behind at 54%. Borat has had better staying power for Cohen, with both films earning Academy Award nominations for Adapted Screenplay, and the sequel, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, earning a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Maria Bakalova. Whether the world gets more Ali G remains to be seen, but Cohen’s distinct brand of humor still has room to thrive.
