‘Melania’ Sets Box Office Records as Hollywood Access Media Tries to Tear it Down

Melania, a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump that covers the 20 days leading up to President Trump’s second inauguration, is an undeniable box office hit. The Hollywood access media savaged the film, which currently holds a 10% critics’ score on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Yet the audience score of 99% suggests that many viewers were not swayed by critics’ reviews.

Melania Trump – Amazon MGM Studios, YouTube

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The film opened in the number three spot at the domestic box office over what Deadline called a “very unconventional weekend.” Deadline reports that the $8 million opening is “the best start for a docu in the last decade.” While documentaries have grown in popularity on streaming platforms, Melania drew audiences back into movie theaters. The film, produced by Amazon MGM Studios, is expected to be available at home soon. Yet audiences showed up regardless.

Its success may be further evidence of the growing divide between the traditional Hollywood cultural gatekeepers and everyday Americans.

What the Critics Said

Before the film’s release, USA Today columnist Rex Huppke argued that mocking the documentary was a patriotic duty, calling the First Lady inconsequential. He predicted that it would be a box office flop, despite the fact that he had not seen seen the film and stated that he wouldn’t.

Melania Trump – Amazon MGM Studios, YouTube

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In his review for The Hollywood Reporter, Frank Scheck called it an “expensive propaganda doc.” He was perhaps more realistic about its box office potential, suggesting that it would probably play to “the biggest audiences the Republican Party can buy.” Owen Gleiberman at Variety compared it to an infomercial.

But it wasn’t just the Hollywood media outlets that were pulling down the Rotten Tomatoes score.

One Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, Keith Uhlich, opened his negative review with the line: “Full disclosure: I will never watch Melania.” Unlike YouTube critic Grace Randolph, who was recently criticized for her Rotten Tomatoes review of Primate, which she admitted walking out of before the end, Uhlich didn’t even see Melania. His score has since been removed, either by the critic himself or Rotten Tomatoes.

While the artistic quality of Melania is open to debate, the box office numbers are not.

What the Box Office Reveals

John Nolte at Breitbart News notes that Melania has already out-grossed several recent dramatic films from some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. He goes on to add that none of those films “faced a relentless, multi-billion-dollar, coordinated propaganda assault from multinational corporations in the political and entertainment media.” Meanwhile, the new documentary features Donald and Melania Trump, who are megastars in their own right.

At the number three spot at the domestic box office, Melania came in after Sam Raimi’s new horror/thriller Send Help, at number one, and YouTuber Markiplier’s sci-fi horror film Iron Lung. All of the movies in the top three were new releases.

Melania Trump – Amazon MGM Studios, YouTube

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It seems that the same audience that turned its back on the legacy media during the 2024 election for political commentary has now chosen to tune out the entertainment press when it comes to movie reviews. Americans first voted for Trump at the ballot box, and now, despite early projections, they have voted for Melania at the box office.

Did you see Melania last weekend? How do you feel about Hollywood access media? Let us know in the comments!

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