A Quickie Film Review of MELANIA

Part 1 - Synopsis
🎬 Overview
MELANIA is a documentary film directed by Brett Ratner and co-produced by First Lady Melania Trump; there are other producers involved. MELANIA offers unprecedented access to the First Lady’s life in the 20 days leading up to the 2025 U.S. presidential inauguration, during which she prepares to resume her role as First Lady of the United States.📖 What the Film Shows:  A behind-the-scenes look at Melania Trump’s day-to-day responsibilities as she orchestrates inauguration plans and navigates the transition back into the White House.

Courtesy Brave New Films.

Exclusive, never-before-seen footage of critical meetings, private conversations, and personal moments involving Melania, her family, and key participants in the transition.
Scenes capturing the complex logistics and personal challenges of preparing for one of the most public roles in American life, including moving back to Washington, D.C., and managing ceremonial and family duties.
🎥 Style & Access
Unlike many political documentaries that rely on retrospective interviews or archival footage, Melania was filmed in real time during this critical period. It aims to immerse viewers in what the filmmakers and Melania herself describe as an intimate and unfiltered look at her personal and professional world during the transition.
📅 Release Info
The documentary has a wide theatrical release date of January 30, 2026, and is expected to be followed by availability on streaming (e.g., Amazon Prime Video) after its theatrical run.

Part 2

MELANIA: About First Lady Melania Trump is widely referred to in the press as the First Lady’s movie:
Hollywood Reporter The Guardian The Daily Beast The Daily Beast

📉 Critical & Public Reaction So Far
Negative and skeptical reactions are dominate: – The film has been review-bombed on early platforms like Letterboxd even before official general release, with many users giving one-star ratings and critics expecting similarly low scores on Rotten Tomatoes. (The Daily Beast)
Advance ticket sales are described as weak, with reports of “soft” sales and practically empty theaters in early showings - a sign of limited public interest. (The Guardian)
Analysts predict a poor box office outcome, potentially below 20% on Rotten Tomatoes and a low opening weekend compared to other big documentaries. (The Daily Beast)
The film has been controversial due to director Brett Ratner’s reputation and the perception by many that it’s overly promotional or politically driven. (The Guardian)

🎬 Notable Praise?
There isn’t much in the way of positive critical reviews yet, likely because the film hasn’t had a full critics’ rollout. A few politically sympathetic voices and supporters may praise it, and some insiders (like former President Trump) describe portions of the film as impressive, but these are promotional comments rather than independent reviews. (People.com)

🧠 General Context
Because the film has a polarizing subject and huge political context, online discussions blend criticism of the documentary itself with political sentiment about the Trumps and Brett Ratner. (The Daily Beast)

the WORD Editor Gregg W. Morris