Sacha Baron Cohen's Netflix drama on Israeli spy Eli Cohen released

After making his name playing comic characters Ali G and Borat, the transition to “straight” acting may have appeared a taxing proposition for Sacha Baron Cohen.

But in many ways, the years he spent tricking unsuspecting interviewees in these guises was perfect preparation for Eli Cohen, the Mossad spy who spent years undercover infiltrating the Syrian government.

The Spy, a six-part miniseries written and directed by Gideon Raff, was released on Netflix on Friday to generally favourable reviews.

The drama follows Cohen’s missions in Syria during the 1960s, which required him to pose as Kamel Amin Thaabeth, an Argentina-based Arab businessman with a longing to return to his ancestral homeland.