January of 2026 presented several new events throughout the Trump administration’s second year. From raids in Venezuela to standoffs in Greenland, to the shootings and protests in Minnesota, to the unveiling of new Epstein files, Americans have certainly experienced an eventful month under their president. And the cherry on top? A documentary in theaters, starring President Donald Trump’s wife, Melania.
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“Melania (2026)” was released in theaters internationally on Jan. 30 to immediate controversy. Glaringly, a documentary covering the sitting First Lady of the United States is unprecedented, leaving forward comparison with any other individual film improbable.
The documentary follows Melania Trump through the 20 days leading up to President Trump’s 2025 inauguration. Besides providing insight into the First Lady’s life, the movie allows viewers a glimpse into the current administration and the life of the President himself.
With the film’s production costing Amazon MGM Studios approximately $40 million and another $35 million for marketing, the question was raised as to whether the film would make any significant gross at the box office.
Only a couple of days following its debut, “Melania” would prove to be a box office hit, by documentary standards. Grossing over $7 million, “Melania” has managed to boast the highest-grossing opening weekend for a documentary in over a decade.
Simultaneously, however, the film stands as one of the most expensive documentaries ever made. With $75 million spent, box office forecasts cast shade on Amazon’s ability to make up its losses.
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Besides the box office, critiques and reviews opened up a whole new field of debate surrounding the film.
Though many have put forth personal issues surrounding the quality of “Melania,” such as writing and pacing, the overwhelming majority of criticism stems from political perspectives, as illustrated by written reviews online.
With nearly 40,000 reviews on IMDb, “Melania” stands at a meager 1.3/10 stars, an abysmal rating by any film standard. Similarly, the documentary boasts a mere 5% score amongst critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Common among the written reviews are opinions lambasting the glorification, highlighting, or general appearance of the Trump family and administration, who are in the spotlight of contemporary controversy.
While many may be quick to assume the documentary itself to be terrible, there exists reason to believe otherwise.
While IMDb’s reviews give the documentary 1.3 stars, the site simultaneously acknowledges the abnormal nature of the respective reviews, which suggests the ratings were overall review-bombed and implausible.
Similarly, on Rotten Tomatoes, while the critic score lies at 5%, audience scores poll in at a whopping 99%, with reviews applauding the First Lady and the documentary.
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Though reviews online may seem exorbitantly split between calling the film enthralling or shameful, the bigger picture suggests that grading “Melania” as a film is largely impossible, especially to the politically active American public.
Ultimately, whether one supports or opposes the standing administration will likely play a major part in their appraisal of this unique American film.
