A new documentary about former First Lady Melania Trump has achieved an unprecedented distinction on the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, setting a record for the largest-ever discrepancy between professional critics' scores and audience ratings over the past 27 years.
Record-Breaking Divide in Reviews
The film, simply titled Melania, was released in theatres on Friday and has since become a focal point for a remarkable cinematic divide. On Rotten Tomatoes, the documentary currently holds a critically dismal score of just 10 percent, indicating near-universal panning from professional reviewers. In stark contrast, audience members have lavished praise upon the project, awarding it an astonishing 99 percent approval rating.
Critical Condemnation Versus Public Praise
Professional critics have been largely scathing in their assessments. Nick Hilton, in a one-star review for The Independent, questioned the film's very nature, suggesting it was not a true documentary but rather "somewhere between reality TV and pure fiction." He criticised its staged scenes and composition, comparing its deliberateness to director Brett Ratner's work on X-Men: The Last Stand.
However, audience reviews on the platform tell a completely different story. Viewers have expressed strong support for the film and its subject. One Rotten Tomatoes user highlighted the documentary's intimate perspective, writing, "A very private look at the work put in before inauguration. Shows her commitment to the children in need." Another five-star review declared, "Nothing to dislike. What an amazing movie from our beloved First Lady. I highly recommend everyone go see this film. It is inspiring whether you are male, female, left or right!!"
Historical Context and Box Office Performance
While significant gaps between critic and audience opinions are not unheard of, the scale of this divide is record-breaking. Other notable examples include the Transformers franchise, which scored 57 percent with critics versus 85 percent with audiences, and the 1999 film The Chosen, which critics rated at 26 percent while audiences gave it 91 percent.
The review gap emerges alongside the revelation of the documentary's box office figures from last weekend. Melania exceeded predictions on its opening day, grossing $2.9 million from 1,778 theatres. Industry analysts had initially projected the controversial film would earn between $1 million and $5 million over its opening weekend, but Variety reports it is now on course to bank approximately $8.1 million.
Financial Realities and Future Streaming
Despite outperforming expectations, the documentary is still unlikely to recoup its substantial production and marketing costs. Amazon MGM reportedly paid $40 million for the film and spent an additional $35 million on marketing. At the film's premiere at the Kennedy Center last week, former President Donald Trump addressed concerns about ticket sales, noting, "It's a very tough business in theatres selling movie tickets after Covid. I think this will do unbelievable — streaming and everything. Theatres are a different world."
The documentary is scheduled to stream on Prime Video at a later date, which may broaden its audience reach beyond the theatrical release. This record-setting divide between critical reception and public opinion underscores the deeply polarising nature of projects associated with political figures and highlights the evolving dynamics between professional reviewers and audience sentiment in the modern media landscape.
