Melania Documentary Creates Historic Rotten Tomatoes Divide
A new documentary about former First Lady Melania Trump has achieved an unprecedented distinction on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, revealing a staggering 93% gulf between professional critics and general audiences. The film, simply titled Melania and directed by controversial filmmaker Brett Ratner, has become a cultural flashpoint that highlights the deep divisions in contemporary discourse.
Critical Panning Versus Audience Adoration
With a meagre 8% approval rating from critics, Melania sits firmly in the "rotten" category on Rotten Tomatoes, placing it alongside some of cinema's most notorious failures. Professional reviewers have been scathing in their assessments, with prominent film critic Mark Kermode describing it as "the most depressing experience I have ever had in the cinema." Publications including The New Statesman called it "two hours of pure absence," while Empire Magazine dismissed it as "an obsequious, ring-kissing portrait of the current US administration." POV Magazine went further, labelling the documentary "pathetic" and suggesting its release represented little more than "reputation-saving hokum."
In stark contrast, the film boasts an extraordinary 99% audience score, prompting Rotten Tomatoes to issue an unusual statement confirming the authenticity of these ratings. The website assured The Hollywood Reporter that "there has been NO manipulation on the audience reviews" and that all displayed ratings represent "VERIFIED reviews" from users who purchased tickets through Fandango. This verification process has done little to bridge the remarkable chasm between critical and popular reception.
Audience Reactions and Political Dimensions
Verified audience members have showered the documentary with praise, with user James F describing both the film and its subject as "the epitome of style, grace and elegance." Other viewers reported sold-out screenings ending in applause and cheers, with Jenn noting that "our theatre erupted in applause and cheers at the end of the show" and Linda claiming that "my friend who's a Democrat enjoyed it too!!" Additional reviews described the experience as "heartwarming and informative" and noted similar enthusiastic responses from cinema audiences.
The documentary's political dimensions have been impossible to ignore, particularly given its focus on the twenty days preceding Donald Trump's second inauguration. The former president himself weighed in with characteristic enthusiasm, declaring the film a "MUST WATCH" in his trademark all-caps style. This endorsement has further polarised reactions to a project that chronicles his wife's experiences during a politically charged period.
Controversial Director and Wider Cultural Impact
Melania represents Ratner's first major directorial effort since 2017, when he faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct from six women, including actors Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge. These serious accusations, which Ratner's lawyer denied at the time, have resurfaced alongside renewed scrutiny of the director's association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Ratner recently addressed his appearance in Epstein-related documents, explaining to Fox News Digital that a photograph showing him with Epstein and two redacted women actually depicted him with a former fiancée at a social event, insisting he "didn't have a close personal relationship with" and "didn't know" Epstein.
The documentary's release has sparked reactions beyond cinema screens, with reports emerging of defaced billboards in Los Angeles featuring the film's promotional materials. One particularly provocative graffiti campaign appears to show figures defecating on the American flag, accompanied by the message "Melania Gives a Shit About America?" Art collective Indecline claimed responsibility, telling Rolling Stone that their twenty-five-year history of altering advertisements reflects their genuine concern for the country, while pointedly noting the irony of an immigrant married to someone "overseeing the kidnapping of immigrants."
As the documentary continues its UK cinema run, the extraordinary disparity between critical condemnation and audience celebration raises profound questions about contemporary film criticism, political polarisation, and the evolving relationship between art and ideology in an increasingly fractured cultural landscape.
