The Dictator
An egomaniacal dictator stranded in New York is forced into a vulgar, politically provocative collision with democracy and ordinary life.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- irreverent
- vulgar
- provocative
- raucous movie night
- adult comedy night
What critics said
Critics found the film consistently provocative and intermittently hilarious, but uneven in its execution and dependent on crude humor.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Aladeen's dictatorship, nuclear program, UN appearance, and speeches turn global politics into targets for sustained mockery.
Aladeen travels from ruling Wadiya to New York and must navigate the city after losing his public identity.
The comedy repeatedly uses sexual, scatological, racist, and politically taboo material as satirical provocation.
The Republic of Wadiya and its eccentric ruler compress caricatured authoritarian and international-relations tropes into a fictional setting.
Films like The Dictator, and why
Duck Soup
shares outrageous political satire, authoritarian absurdity, and broad slapstick aimed at institutions of power
The Great Dictator
shares anti-dictatorship satire, comic impersonation, and a climactic political speech mixing warmth with ridicule
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
shares provocative political comedy, crude humor, and a culture-clash fish-out-of-water structure
Movie Details
- Director
- Larry Charles
- Release Date
- 2012-05-15
- Runtime
- 83 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (6640)
Cast
- Sacha Baron Cohen
- Ben Kingsley
- Anna Faris
- Jason Mantzoukas
- Sayed Badreya
- Adeel Akhtar
- Aasif Mandvi
- Rizwan Manji
- Rocky Citron
- Liam Campora
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Paramount Plus Essential
- Rent
- JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Dictator about?
- An egomaniacal dictator stranded in New York is forced into a vulgar, politically provocative collision with democracy and ordinary life.
- What is The Dictator like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Dictator as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Dictator violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Dictator as mild.
- What did critics think of The Dictator?
- Critics found the film consistently provocative and intermittently hilarious, but uneven in its execution and dependent on crude humor.
- Which films are like The Dictator?
- Films with a similar feel include Duck Soup, The Great Dictator, and Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.
- How long is The Dictator?
- The Dictator runs 83 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Dictator?
- In United States, The Dictator streams on Paramount Plus Essential.
