Melania Trump’s new documentary opened to a lacklustre reception in New York City on Friday, with empty seats and faint praise characterising its debut. The film, produced by Amazon and costing $75 million, saw only a dozen viewers at a Times Square AMC theatre, at least half of whom were journalists.
Across the United States, turnout was similarly poor, prompting executives to downplay predictions for the opening weekend. The documentary, commissioned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has been described as a vanity project for the first lady, who appears visibly uncomfortable on screen.
Among the few non-reporters in attendance was Chase, a 24-year-old who described himself as politically independent. “I just think it’s really interesting to see inside the life of somebody so famous,” he said. Another viewer, Jim Behrle, a Democrat, admitted: “I didn’t dislike it as much as I thought I would,” though he added that the film lacked rising action or conflict.
The documentary largely focuses on Melania Trump trying on clothes and includes footage of croquet at Mar-a-Lago. Critics have noted a lack of gripping narrative, and the film’s commercial prospects appear dim. Amazon paid $40 million for the documentary and spent an additional $35 million on marketing, raising questions about recouping costs.
