Melania documentary sets record for largest-ever gap between critics’ scores and audience ratings

Melania Trump’s new documentary, Melania, has broken a Rotten Tomatoes record for the biggest discrepancy between critics’ scores and audience ratings in the last 27 years.

Since its release, reviews have been largely negative, with the film sitting at a measly 10 percent on the platform. However, viewers on the reviewing site have given the documentary a 99 percent, in an apparent demonstration of support for Trump.

In a one-star review for The Independent, Nick Hilton wrote: “Perhaps Melania is merely a piece of post-modern post-entertainment. After all, it is transparently not a documentary.”

Hilton continues: “Melania spends most scenes playing a staged version of herself, and shots of the first lady are composed with all the deliberateness Ratner brought to his work on X-Men: The Last Stand. This is somewhere between reality TV and pure fiction.”

However, audience members were generally interested in seeing the work behind the first lady’s lead-up to Inauguration Day, with one Rotten Tomatoes user writing, “A very private look at the work put in before inauguration. Shows her commitment to the children in need.”

“Nothing to dislike,” another five-star Rotten Tomatoes user wrote. “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!!”

Other similar examples of large gaps between critic reviews and audience ratings include Transformers, which scored 57 percent with critics but 85 percent with audiences, and the 1999 film The Chosen, which critics also disliked at 26 percent as audiences raved, giving it a 91 percent.

The gap in reviews comes after the box office numbers of the documentary were revealed last weekend. Melania had exceeded box office predictions on its opening day, grossing $2.9 million from 1,778 theaters.

Speaking to reporters at the film’s premiere at the Kennedy Center last week, President Donald Trump played down reports of weak ticket sales for the film.

“It’s a very tough business in theaters selling movie tickets after Covid,” he said. “I think this will do unbelievable — streaming and everything. Theaters are a different world.”

While analysts predicted the controversial film to make between $1 million and $5 million through its opening weekend, Variety reports it is on course to bank around $8.1 million.

Although the film has performed better than expected, it is still unlikely to recoup the $40 million Amazon MGM paid for it. Amazon reportedly spent an additional $35 million to market the film.

Melania will stream on Prime Video at a later date.