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The Melania Trump documentary has officially hit theaters after more than a year of curious anticipation, and while it remains to be seen whether the $75 million film is a box office hit, critics have slammed “Melania” as “vapid propaganda” and “pure, endless hell.”
The documentary, as of Saturday afternoon, had an abysmal 6% on Rotten Tomatoes, an aggregate critical score worse than that of universally reviled films like “Cats” (2019) or the third installment of the “Fifty Shades of Gray” franchise.
“A documentary that never comes to life,” wrote Variety film critic Owen Gleiberman. “It’s a ‘portrait’ of the First Lady of the United States, but it’s so orchestrated, airbrushed and staged that it barely rises to the level of a cheeky infomercial.”
“Melania It’s a level of vapid propaganda that almost resists review,” Kevin Fallon wrote for The Daily Beast.
Xan Brooks wrote for The Guardian: “The fun isn’t contagious and the guests are a nightmare, and two hours of Melania seems like pure, endless hell.” Brooks added that the documentary “feels like a golden trash remake” of “The Hot Spot,” a harrowing drama centered on Nazi Rudolf Höss.
Brooks also called the film a “disheartening” look at “a button-eyed Cinderella” who “points out gold ornaments and designer dresses, slyly distracting us as her husband and his cronies prepare to dismantle the Constitution and strip the federal government of assets.”
“Melania” follows the first lady in the 20 days leading up to Donald Trump’s second inauguration following the 2024 presidential election. Reviews have not only criticized the film for its poor execution, but also for its murky origins.
Last year, Amazon MGM Studios announced it had paid Melania Trump’s production company $40 million to license the film, which one suspicious expert suggested was “stunning” evidence of a political payoff to curry favor.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos notably criticized Trump in 2016 for “threatening retaliation” against his opponents and “eroding” American democracy, only to praise him after the 2024 election and see Amazon donate $1 million to his inaugural fund.
The film’s total cost of $75 million has sparked speculation that it could be the most expensive documentary ever released in theaters. The Critic’s Robert Hutton touched on this in his review.
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“This film came about because even the richest have things to fear from the protagonist’s husband. Melania’s importance is not so much the content of the film as the fact that it happened,” he wrote. “It is not impossible that it could be evidence in an impeachment trial. And in any case, it is an important document in the decline of American public life.”
Trump himself praised it as “a very important film” Thursday at the premiere in Washington, DC. When asked by a New York Times reporter about allegations that Bezos bought his goodwill, Trump called it “fake news.”
While Rotten Tomatoes’ critics’ rating for “Melania” is dismal, fan-submitted reviews were much higher on Saturday afternoon, clocking in at a whopping 98%, and included statements such as: “Melania is a wonderful human,” “It was classic art” and “The film makes no attempt to act or persuade.” Skeptics on social media have suggested that the high number of positive fan reviews could be fake.
Box office analysts are currently divided on the film’s chances of financial success: The Hollywood Reporter predicts a surprise opening of $8 million, but a WIRED analysis reports that “Melania” only sold out two screenings nationwide on Friday.
Brett Ratner, accused in 2017 of sexual harassment or misconduct by at least six women, directed the film.