‘Melania’ Rotten Tomatoes Score is Revealed – Critics Are Merciless
The new pseudo-documentary Melania has made its debut, and critics are not impressed. The film, co-produced and directed by Brett Ratner, focuses on Melania Trump in the 20 days leading up to Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, it currently holds a 7% score, based on 15 critic reviews, while Metacritic assigns it a 6 out of 100, indicating “overwhelming dislike.”
Melania began development right after the 2024 presidential election and attracted attention from several major studios. Amazon ultimately won the rights with a $40 million deal, which also included plans for a theatrical release and a docuseries follow-up. The project was unusual in that Melania Trump retained editorial control, and she was heavily involved throughout production. This marks Brett Ratner’s first project since facing multiple s**** misconduct allegations.
Critics were quick to pan the documentary. Julie Cohen, co-director of RBG and My Name Is Pauli Murray, told The Guardian that the film has “no artistic or journalistic integrity” because of Trump’s influence on the final product. Owen Gleiberman of Variety called it a “shameless infomercial” and compared it to state propaganda from 1960s China. The Guardian’s Xan Brooks criticized the movie’s pacing, calling it a “gilded trash remake” of The Zone of Interest (2023).
Other reviewers were similarly harsh. Nick Hilton of The Independent likened it to The Birth of a Nation (1915) and Triumph of the Will (1935), labeling it vapid and pointing out that it provides little insight into Trump herself.
Sophie Gilbert of The Atlantic criticized the film for lacking action and substance. Brian Truitt from USA Today noted the emotional disconnect, pointing out that Melania never directly addresses the camera or reacts to events like California wildfires. The Hollywood Reporter’s Frank Scheck highlighted the jarring soundtrack, which includes songs about war, power, s**, and male domination, such as “Gimme Shelter” and “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.”
MELANIA, the film, exclusively in theaters worldwide on January 30th, 2026. pic.twitter.com/n2kloQ4JwW
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) December 17, 2025
The combination of high production costs, editorial control, and Ratner’s controversial reputation has only amplified the negative response. Despite the star-studded interest behind the scenes and the unprecedented Amazon deal, critics are largely dismissing the film as promotional rather than informative.
The reaction to Melania shows how difficult it is for films with heavy subject control to be taken seriously. No matter the budget or the creative team, editorial influence can severely undercut credibility. Do you think the negative reviews are fair, or is there more to this documentary than critics are giving it credit for? Share your thoughts in the comments.