Borat (2006)

Even before its release, Borat was the subject of incessant controversy and some of the movie’s cast members spoke against, and even went on to sue its creators in later years. Although the film was a hit worldwide, in its homeland of Kazakhstan and the Arab world, the situation could not be any more different.

Based on the questionable, ridiculous, and sometimes completely vile escapades of fictional Kazakh reporter Borat Sagdiyev, the mockumentary continues to be a polarizing subject among audiences even today. More than a decade later, Kazakhstan has somewhat embraced the film’s premise. Its tourism board even adopted the film’s catchphrase,  Very nice!, for its 2020 tourism campaign.