Sacha Baron Cohen is being accused of ‘racism’ in the new trailer for Ali G: Who Iz I?

Sacha Baron Cohen is bringing Ali G back after more than two decades, but the first trailer for his new movie has already reignited a decades-old debate over allegations of racism and whether this type of comedy is appropriate today. 

Ali G: Who Iz I? sees Cohen reprise his role as the satirical fictional wannabe gangster rapper, who first shot him to fame in the late ‘90s. He’s still donning the oversized streetwear, tinted glasses and exaggerated slang, but this time around he’s got long dreadlocks.

The character first appeared on Channel 4’s The 11 O’Clock Show in 1998 before getting his own series, Da Ali G Show, in 2000, followed by the 2002 movie Ali G Indahouse.

But Ali G was always deliberately controversial. The joke was that Cohen was playing an ignorant white suburban man from Surrey who had appropriated the language, clothing and mannerisms he associated with Black British and Jamaican culture. 

Much of Da Ali G Show also relied on Cohen interviewing unsuspecting public figures in character, using Ali’s ignorance to provoke awkward and often ridiculous responses. This formula was mimicked with Cohen’s later characters, Borat and Brüno.

Ali G’s portrayal of Black culture attracted criticism even during the height of his popularity, with some comics describing it as an “alibi for racism”. Now, more than 20 years later, Cohen is at the centre of that same debate but in a very different cultural landscape.

In Who Iz I?, Ali explains that he’s spent the intervening years “chillin’” and decides to make what he thinks is a revolutionary new invention: a documentary. The new film was secretly shot for more than a year and sees Cohen once again interacting with real people.

There is a loose storyline holding everything together. Ali discovers his longtime girlfriend Julie, now played by Morgana Robinson, is eight months pregnant and so he heads to America in an attempt to reclaim his former glory before becoming a father. 

The film, which also marks Cohen’s feature directorial debut, arrives in cinemas on October 23. Before then, the trailer for Ali G: Who Iz I? landed on Tuesday, and some viewers have taken issue with the character’s appearance and portrayal. 

In response to the trailer, one X user asked, “Why is this man allowed to do brown face and cultural appropriation in 2026?”

Another sarcastically wrote, “This is hilarious. I want a Jamaican person to do a parody of a Jewish man because it’ll be equally as hilarious ofc,” referring to the fact that Cohen is a privately educated white Jewish man.

Cohen himself tweeted the trailer and wrote, “In an age where a comedian’s career can be ended by a single un-PC joke, I thought I’d play it safe and bring this guy back.” But an X user replied, “Ali G – a character that was racist and unfunny 20 years ago.”

Why is this man allowed to do brown face and cultural appropriation in 2026? https://t.co/tPtW1VAfh9

— Ambereen Dadabhoy 🪬 (@DrDadabhoy) August 25, 2026

Others have suggested that the concept doesn’t work in 2026, with one person responding to a post describing Ali G as a “swaggering London bad boy”. 

They wrote, “This tweet typifies the whole problem with Ali G. The character is supposed to be a white guy from Stains, Surrey who ‘thinks he’s Black’ but because his conception of blackness is inherently racist, he’s now a ‘swaggering London bad boy’ whatever the f**k that means.”

A number of supporters have defended the film, accusing critics of missing the point. “The scene is not about being racist to foreigners and laughing. The ‘comedy’ is making fun of the so called ignorant white racists,” said one. 

But another countered, “That’s the point; it’s way out of date. Bear in mind I enjoyed Ali G when I was younger. In 2026, the Ali G character inadvertently does the most damage to the Jamaican/black man even if it’s supposed to be a parody of someone mimicking a Jamaican. Bad stereotypes etc.”

Film Shrine has contacted Amazon MGM Studios and Cohen’s representative for comment. 

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Featured image credit: Amazon MGM Studios