The reviews are in, and they're brutal.Brett Ratner's $75 million documentary aboutMelania Trumphas received a miserable 6 percent rating among criticson Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the worst-reviewed films in recent memory.
Released this weekend, theMelaniadocumentary has been absolutely eviscerated by entertainment journalists. The film's dismal score sits below even the infamous 2019 musicalCats, which at least managed to scrape together a 19% rating.
The Daily Beast'sKevin Fallondidn't hold back, calling the project "a level of insipid propaganda that almost resists review; it's so expected and utterly pointless." Meanwhile,Variety'sOwen Gleibermandelivered an equally devastating critique, describing it as "so orchestrated and airbrushed and stage-managed that it barely rises to the level of a shameless infomercial."
The documentary follows the First Lady during the 20 days leading up toDonald Trump's second inauguration. However, what was intended as an intimate portrait has instead been labeled everything from boring to dangerous propaganda.
The Hollywood Reporter'sFrank Schecknoted the film "fawns so lavishly over its subject that you feel downright unpatriotic not gushing over it." He went further, writing that the film ends with "onscreen graphics listing Melania's achievements as first lady in such laudatory fashion that North Korea would blush."
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Perhaps most damning isThe Guardian'sCatherine Shoard, who called the documentary "exhaustingly boring and chillingly vain." She observed that the First Lady "has no friends" and appears to maintain "an entirely airless existence."
The Atlanticwent nuclear on the project, declaring it "a disgrace" and arguing that "Melaniathe movie isn't a documentary; it's a protection racket."
Adding to the controversy,Rolling Stonereported that two-thirds of the film's New York-based crew didn't want to be credited. One crew member told the publication they hoped it "flops," while another confessed, "I feel a little bit uncomfortable with the propaganda element of this."
Box office projections appear equally grim. Early reports suggest the film has sold out at just two theaters nationwide despite opening in approximately 1,500 to 2,000 locations. That's a catastrophic performance for Amazon MGM's reported investment.
Only one major outlet offered anything resembling praise.The London Evening Standardgave it three out of five stars, though even that review questioned whether the film was "worth $40 million."
The harsh reviews extend beyond political disagreements. Critics specifically targeted director Brett Ratner's filmmaking choices, withTheWrap's reviewer noting he "couldn't find the humanity in a funeral," referring to footage ofPresident Jimmy Carter's service.
As the documentary limps through its opening weekend, one thing is clear: the reviews forMelaniaare among the most scathing in recent entertainment history.
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