Amazon MGM Studios
After what seemed like an underwhelming theatrical debut, "Ali G: Who Iz I?" has taken Prime Video by storm. Subscribers seemingly can't get enough of Sacha Baron Cohen's Alistair Leslie Graham. But the successful streaming debut of this latest installment in the Ali G saga comes after a release that has otherwise been marred by mixed to negative reviews and an overwhelming sense that nobody needed this movie.
When Cohen announced "Ali G: Who Iz I?" (which also marks his feature directorial debut), many questions came to mind. "Why?" might have been the most relevant one. After all, it had been 24 years since his 2002 film "Ali G Indahouse" and even longer since the character first debuted on Channel 4's "The 11 O'Clock Show" back in 1998. As the BBC asked ahead of the release of "Who Iz I?" "Ali G is back. But is the character past its sell-by date?"
There was one sort of convincing argument for this film's existence in 2026. Baron Cohen has had some fine movie moments, but "Indahouse" felt like a missed opportunity as it was one of the few Cohen movies that didn't use his classic mockumentary format, instead telling a fully scripted tale of the titular rude boy and the West Staines Massiv. "Who Iz I?" however, embraces the fake interviews and on-the-street pranks that made Cohen's Channel 4/HBO series "Da Ali G Show" and his "Borat" films so popular.
It seems Cohen decided that 2026 was the year Ali G would finally get the film he always deserved. Sadly, it hasn't worked out all that well for him so far. In fact, the streaming success of "Who Iz I?" might be the only bright spot.
Ali G: Who Iz I? is a streaming hit but izit enough?
Amazon MGM Studios
"Ali G: Who Iz I?" hit Prime Video on October 28, 2026, and according to streaming viewership tracker FlixPatrol, the film has been a solid success for the streamer. As of October 30, 2026, it has taken the number one spot on the United States movie charts. What's more, the film debuted in the same spot in the United Kingdom the day prior, and at the time of writing, it sits at number one in 10 countries, including Ireland, Canada, and Australia. "Who Iz I?" also looks set to take the number one in eight other countries where it currently occupies the second position.
Meanwhile, the film is number one on the overall chart (movies and TV shows combined) in both the United Kingdom and Ireland, and currently sits at number three in the United States. It makes sense for the movie to have done so well in the UK considering Ali G's origins. But it seems the Americans are loving the return of Cohen's dimwitted cultural appropriator, too.
The question is, does this make up for a release that has otherwise been, as Ali G might say, dodgy to say the least? The "Ali G: Who Iz I" trailer promised a "Borat"-like mockumentary that would explore a society living in the wake of, as Ali G put it, such horrors as "Covid, wars, and Ed Sheeran." As seemingly anachronistic as the character was, unleashing Cohen's subversive comedy character into a culture as ridiculous as ours has become didn't seem like a terrible idea. But distributor Amazon MGM Studios seemed to lose faith in its theatrical prospects as the release drew nearer, and it has thus far neglected to provide any box office figures.
Critics aren't convinced by Ali G: Who Iz I?
Amazon MGM Studios
After playing the latest Marvel big bad in "Ironheart," Sacha Baron Cohen geared up to unleash "Ali G: Who Iz I?" But as the release date approached, things weren't looking too good. The film was originally supposed to get a full theatrical release but ultimately debuted in only 125 theaters, where it played for two days. It then went to Prime Video on October 28, 2026, five days after its theatrical debut, where so far it seems to be faring quite well — suggesting it probably should have gone straight to the streaming platform in the first place.
Unfortunately, the streaming numbers aren't going to make up for a 41% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Mark Kermode delivered his verdict via Kermode and Mayo's Take, announcing, "I didn't laugh once in the whole film," while Barry Hertz of the Globe and Mail took Sacha Baron Cohen's film to task for "represent[ing] a deeply depressing full-circle moment for an artist who was once one of modern comedy's sharpest satirists."
Still, a few critics liked "Who Iz I?" The The Times' Ed Potton found the plot of the film to be "shamelessly flimsy" but described the gags that do land as "hilarious." Meanwhile, Nick Schager of The Daily Beast was able to overlook the film's "inherent limitations" to enjoy some "legitimately laugh-out-loud funny" jokes.
You can watch the film right now on Prime Video, and make up your own mind as to whether trotting out this early 2000s comedy icon for another go round was worth it or not. But there was a definite sense that this was not something we needed prior to its release, and I'm not sure that's changed following the film's arrival, no matter how good the streaming numbers are.
