Sacha Baron Cohen defines what it means to be a versatile comedian. An outspoken person both off and on the screen, Cohen is never afraid to push the boundaries in whatever character he's playing. If you're an avid fan of the actor, you may recall his early days as Ali G, a suburban male chav who imitates the British Jamaican hip-hop culture in The 11 O'Clock Show and Da Ali G Show.
After Ali G, the actor ventured into portraying other fictional satirical characters, such as Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral General Aladeen. In fact, comedy is not the only thing he's good at, though, as Cohen has also starred in several action and historical movies. According to IMDb, here are the top ten movies of the actor.
10 'The Dictator' (6.4)
Sacha Baron Cohen is somehow immune to the "cancel culture," and the 2012's political satire comedy The Dictator is the pinnacle of his career. Despite its lackluster review from the critics for its taboo and on-your-face jokes, the movie birthed to one of Cohen's iconic characters, General Admiral Aladeen. The movie itself follows the General as he "guides" his Republic of Wadiya from a dictatorship to a democratic system.
9 'Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby' (6.6)
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby sees Cohen sharing the stage with the likes of Will Ferrell and John Reilly. The actor himself stars as an eccentric, openly-gay French F1 driver, Jean Girard, who challenges the leading character, Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell). Bobby knows nothing but winning, pitting Cohen's character in a not-so-easy position throughout the race.
8 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' (6.7)
Another outstanding satirical character, 2020's Borat Subsequent Moviefilm picks up where the previous movie left off. After a series of disappointing news, Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev must return to the USA to deliver a "bribe" for the president and save his country's image.
The movie takes an unpredicted turnaround when Borat's teenage daughter, Tutar, has a creepy encounter with then-President Donald Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. The movie ended up winning several accolades, including two Golden Globes and one Critics' Choice Movie Award.
7 'Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted' (6.8)
In addition to on-screen acting, Cohen also ventures into voice-acting. It can be a whole 'nother level of challenge. In Madagascar 3: Europe Most Wanted, Cohen serves as the voice actor behind King Julien's character. The movie follows the journey of the Madagascar animals as they detour Europe to find the four penguins and make it back home to New York's Central Park Zoo safely. Its predecessor, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, scored 6.6 on IMDb.
6 'Madagascar' (6.9)
2005's Madagascar is a fresh twist to the franchise. The movie debuted Cohen's ring-tailed lemur character as the animals escape the Zoo and attempt to adjust to the wildlife. The movie itself was a hit, having amassed over $532.7 million in box office out of a $75 million budget. Madagascar received several awards from Annie, Golden Eagle, AFI's 10 Top 10, and Kids' Choice Awards, winning the latter for Favorite Animated Movie.
5 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street' (7.3)
Cohen takes a train of time in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, all the way back to the 1840s. He portrays Adolfo Pirelli, a supporting antagonist to the story's antihero, Sweeney Todd. Both are barbers and rivals to each other during the English Victorian era. Cohen shares the stage with Johnny Depp, Helena Carter, Timothy Spall, Alan Rickman, Ed Sanders, and Laura Kelly in this movie.
4 'Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan' (7.3)
This is the first mockumentary that started the series of chaotic events. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan introduces the world to the Kazakh journalist as he, joined by sidekick Azamat Bagatov, tries to adapt to the American culture and find the love of Borat's life, Pamela Anderson.
The controversial comedy flick ended up getting both praises from the critics and bans from several countries, including Kazakhstan and most Middle Eastern countries.
3 'Hugo' (7.5)
Cohen delivers a fantastic portrayal of Inspector Gustave Dasté in Martin Scorsese-directed Hugo in 2011. Inspired by the 2007 book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the movie tells the story of a lonely Parisian boy who fancies his late father's automaton machinery. Unfortunately, despite its warm welcome from the critics, the movie was a box office commercial failure.
2 'Les Misérables' (7.6)
Another novel adaptation, Cohen also stars in 2012's Les Misérables, which was based on the 1862 French novel of the same name. The film follows Jean Valjean as he attempts to escape the 19-year-long struggle of being hunted by ruthless lawmen. Cohen stars as one of the two Thénardiers alongside his former castmate from Sweeney Todd, Helena Carter. The movie grossed over $441.8 million, making it a massive commercial success.
1 'The Trial Of The Chicago 7' (7.8)
Another serious addition to his impressive CV, Cohen stars in Netflix's original The Trial of the Chicago 7. As the title of the movie suggests, it follows the story of the Chicago Seven, a group of pacifist and anti-war protesters who were charged with conspiracy amidst the Vietnam War protest.
Cohen stars as Abbie Hoffman, one of the seven defendants. Eddie Redmayne plays Tom Hayden, Alex Sharp as Rennie Davis, Jeremy Strong takes Jerry Rubin, John Carrol Lynch wears the shoes of David Dellinger, while Noah Robbins and Daniel Flaherty portray Lee Weiner and John Froines respectively.