“Melania” blew past expectations in its debut, opening to the strongest ticket sales for a documentary in a decade and reaping rave reviews from moviegoers despite scathing takes from critics.
The film starring and co-produced by first lady Melania Trump was projected to gross $8.1 million over the weekend after earning $2.9 million in domestic sales on Friday, surpassing the filmmakers’ target of $5 million and defying naysayers who predicted the movie would bomb.
The Amazon MGM Studios documentary directed by Brett Ratner also earned a perfect “A” ranking from CinemaScore, which polls theater-goers, and a staggering 99% audience rating from Rotten Tomatoes.
“Bad news for the obsessional culturati who have been working to establish the Melania movie as a world-historic failure and embarrassment: It’s going to make $8M in its first weekend, which is a colossal opening for a documentary,” Commentary editor and film critic John Poderetz posted on X.
The enthusiastic reception from moviegoers came in stark contrast to the 11% rating from film critics, who ripped the film as “vapid,” “mostly dull,” “endless hell,” and a “cheeseball infomercial of staggering inertia.”
“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,” Owen Gleiberman said in his review for Variety.
The $40 million documentary following Mrs. Trump in the 20 days ahead of the 2025 presidential inauguration benefited from a $35 million marketing budget — and the ringing endorsement of the president — but also had to overcome anti-Trump crowds actively rooting for the movie to fail.
Trump foes plastered social media with screenshots showing theaters with no seats reserved for the film, and yet “Melania” outperformed on walk-up traffic, registering 52% same-day sales, according to PostTrak figures reported by Deadline Hollywood.
Some of our “church ladies” at the new movie MELANIA that includes my prayer for the President and First Lady! @FLOTUS @POTUS pic.twitter.com/OzDupYdjm5
— Dr. Robert Jeffress (@robertjeffress) January 31, 2026
Driving the film’s success were older conservative women: 72% of audiences were women and 72% over 55. In terms of politics, 49% identified as Republicans; 47% were politically conservative, and 28% were evangelical Christians, while just 2% were Democrats.
“The turnout here for the Brett Ratner-directed nonfiction film is akin to that of a faith-based movie,” said Deadline in its analysis.
Indeed, the film drew comparisons before its release to Angel Studios’ 2023 documentary “After Death,” which grossed $5 million in its opening weekend and went on to earn $11.8 million worldwide.
An $8 million opening weekend would make “Melania” the highest-grossing documentary in more than decade, excluding concert films.
Even before its theatrical release, “Melania” had already made history as the first documentary starring a sitting first lady, as well as one of the most expensive documentaries ever made.
The flick’s performance was good enough for third at the weekend box office, behind the science-fiction horror movie “Iron Lung” and “Send Help,” a survival/revenge film starring Rachel MacAdams.
Mrs. Trump celebrated her movie’s success on X, posting: “#1 Highest Opening In 10 Yrs (Doc)/Loved By All — ’A’ CinemaScore.”
“Melania” had its red-carpet premiere Thursday at the Trump-Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a few days after a private screening at the White House.
President Trump urged his supporters to see the movie Friday on Truth Social.
“Last night I saw, ‘MELANIA,’ for the second time. The audience loved it, and so do I,” he posted. “Check it out — A MUST SEE!”
