'Melania' Documentary Reviews: Critics Slam Melania Trump Movie
Melania is hitting theaters this weekend.
Amazon MGM Studios’ film “offers unprecedented access to the 20 days leading up to the 2025 Presidential Inauguration — through the eyes of the First Lady herself.”
Here’s a full synopsis: “Step inside Melania Trump‘s world as she orchestrates inauguration plans, navigates the complexities of the White House transition, and moves her family back to the Nation’s Capital. With exclusive footage capturing critical meetings, private conversations, and never-before-seen environments, Melania showcases Mrs. Trump’s return to one of the world’s most powerful roles.”
But what do critics have to say about the documentary?
Keep reading to find out more…
Variety says: “A documentary that never comes to life. It’s a ‘portrait’ of the First Lady of the United States, but it’s so orchestrated and airbrushed and stage-managed that it barely rises to the level of a shameless infomercial.”
The Guardian gave it 1 out of 5, saying: “The fun’s not infectious and the guests are a nightmare, and two hours of Melania feels like pure, endless hell.”
The Independent gave it 1 out of 5, writing: “To call Melania vapid would do a disservice to the plumes of florid vape smoke that linger around British teenagers.”
Buzzfeed says: “Last night, I left an empty chickpea can on my counter. When I came back 30 minutes later, small, black bugs had swarmed the tin and were crawling over my sink. I would rather relive that moment a hundred times over than have to watch another minute of the movie Melania.”
The Daily Express writes: “Many scenes bore, as Melania – who narrates throughout at a monotone pitch – spends too much time in service lifts with sycophants and in painfully stiff, orchestrated scenes discussing her all-important work.”
The Atlantic says: “Melania the movie isn’t a documentary; it’s a protection racket. It’s a reminder that the richest people in the world are investing in entertainment brands not because they care about art but because the public does, and because all of these vanity projects and capitulations are a way to consolidate their own power and fortune.”
The Daily Beast says: “The most enlightening parts of the documentary were the fleeting, clearly scheduled interactions she has with her husband, where flickers of humanity strain through the facade, so powerful is her disdain and boredom with him. These moments are, dare I say it, quite fun. I’ve never seen the phrase ‘grin and bear it’ on such painful display; I swear her veneers were about to shatter at one point. Melania has nothing to say, and is certainly not insightful. It is not juicy, nor entertaining.”
The London Evening Standard gave the film the lone positive review, giving it 3 out of 5 stars, saying: “If you take this film for what it is, Melania’s own, curated take on herself, then there’s one thing she wants to get across, it’s that there’s human warmth there under the cheekbones and the slanting feline eyes.”
Find out which celebrities attended the screening of the documentary.