Melania documentary faces harsh reviews; Rotten Tomatoes score at 8%

Brett Ratner's documentary Melania, which opened Jan. 30, 2026, has been met with harsh reviews, sitting at 8% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 reviews, the outlet reported. Several critics excoriated the film: Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, 'To say that Melania is a hagiography would be an insult to hagiographies.' Variety's Owen Gleiberman said it 'feels like it’s been stitched together out of the most innocuous outtakes from a reality show,' and The Guardian's Xan Brooks called it 'a gilded trash remake of Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest.' The Atlantic's Sophie Gilbert wrote, 'Melania the movie isn’t a documentary; it’s a protection racket.' The film's release has been mired in controversy beyond critical response.

Major outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Associated Press and Vanity Fair were not invited to the post-premiere screening; the only press invited to screen the movie were One America News anchor Dan Ball and OAN producer Peyton Drew. Amazon acquired the film in a bidding war, paying $40 million — the highest price ever paid for a documentary — and commentators including Jon Stewart and Jimmy Kimmel have called the purchase a 'bribe,' the article noted.

Melania Trump reportedly had full creative control of the project. The documentary is also the first feature from director Brett Ratner since he was accused of sexual harassment and assault by six women in 2017.

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