Sacha Baron Cohenhas played a multitude of iconic characters throughout his long and storied career. Indeed, the British-born satirist has made an impact on audiences with shockingly funny films such as Borat and Brüno that aren't afraid to push the boundaries of comedy.
However, to minimize Sacha Baron Cohen's impressive film career to those two films alone would be a great injustice as the actor has an impressive list of high-quality films under his belt. Not only is this a testament to the actor's versatility, but it's also indicative of how passionate the actor is about his craft. To honor his unique talent, here are Sacha Baron Cohen's ten best films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
10 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) - 64%
Given Sacha Baron Cohen's penchant for controversy, some of you may find it rather surprising that one of his best rated films is the animated comedy Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. The film is a sequel to the first Madagascar film that was released back in 2005. The animals from the first film managed to escape from Madagascar and found themselves on the continent of Africa. Sacha Baron Cohen voices King Julien the ring-tailed lemur in the film.
9 Brüno (2009) - 67%
Brüno was Sacha Baron Cohen's follow-up to Borat. In the film, the satirist portrays flamboyant Austrian fashionista Brüno Gehard. The film features several celebrities put in incredibly uncomfortable and outrageous situations. Like Baron Cohen's other mockumentaries, this film is crude and at times offensive.
However, if you can push past that, you'll come to realize that there's a greater point that Baron Cohen is making with this film as it helps reveal the intolerance and homophobia that is still very much present in society.
8 Les Misérables (2012) - 70%
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Les Misérables is based on Victor Hugo's French historical novel of the same name. The musical revolves around a freed prisoner, Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), and the police inspector Javerty (Russell Rowe) who's dedicated his life to bringing him back to prison. Despite the stacked cast, which includes Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, and Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen was still able to stand out with his portrayal of one-half of the duplicitous Thénardier duo.
7 Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) - 71%
Sacha Baron Cohen is entirely in his element in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. The film starring Will Ferrell as the titular Ricky Bobby is a clever and hilarious satire about the world of NASCAR. Talladega Nights is over the top in the best way possible, as the film is loaded with tons of incredibly funny moments that make the movie a great and entertaining watch.
In the film, Baron Cohen portrays Ricky Bobby's rival French Formula One champion Jean Girard. Baron Cohen does a masterful job in his scenes with Ferrell as the two play off each other really well.
6 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)- 78%
As the title suggests, this iteration of the Madagascar franchise is the sequel to Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. This time the wacky animal crew is headed to Europe. Aside from the main cast that are present in Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, Sacha Baron Cohen also makes a return as the ring-tailed lemur King Julien.
5 Borat Subsequent Moviefilm - 85%
While it doesn't rank as high as the original, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is still one of Sacha Baron Cohen's best movies. The film, like the original, satirizes American culture and politics in the most outrageous of ways. The Borat sequel managed to get tied up in a controversy when he set up a fake interview for former New York City mayor and Donald Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
4 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) - 86%
Tim Burton's take on Stephen Sondheim's iconic Broadway musical was well received by both critics and audiences alike. Sweeney Todd follows the mysterious Sweeney Todd as he makes his way back to London to enact vengeance on those who wronged him. The dark tale of love, loss, and carnage had Baron Cohen playing the eccentric Italian barber Adolfo Pirelli. Given that the film is a musical, Sacha Baron Cohen got to show off his singing skills.
3 The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)- 89%
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a legal drama written and directed by Aaron Sorkin that revolves around the infamous trial of seven defendants charged with conspiracy and incitement to riot during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The film boasts an impressive cast of talented actors including Yahya Abdul-Mateen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeremy Strong, and Sacha Baron Cohen. The film netted Baron Cohen a nomination at the 93rd Academy Awards wherein he was up for Best Supporting Actor.
2 Borat (2006) - 91%
Most of you likely know Sacha Baron Cohen from his portrayal of Borat Sagdiyev in the part satire, part shockumentary film Borat. In the film, Sacha Baron Cohen takes on the character of Borat, a popular reporter from Kazakhstan, who's dedicated to creating a documentary about the United States and what makes it a great nation.
This film is great as only a satirist as sharp as Sacha Baron Cohen can pull off a film poking fun at the failings of America, all while putting together a wildly entertaining film. Sadly, we've likely seen the last of performances like this as Baron Cohen has stated that Borat 2 will be his last undercover film.
1 Hugo (2011) - 93%
Atop the list of Sacha Baron Cohen's best films is 2011's Hugo. Martin Scorsese's intricate fantasy coming of age film, was one of the best films of the 2010s. The film revolves around a mysterious automaton and an orphan named Hugo who lives in the walls of a train station.
And while it would be easy to heap praise on Scorsese due to his brilliance as a director, the film's cast also helped the world of Hugo come to life. Excellent performances from Asa Butterfield and Chloë Grace Moretz were accentuated by a stellar cast of supporting characters including Sacha Baron Cohen as the station inspector.
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