The highly anticipated documentary about Melania Trump, former US First Lady, has sparked a media frenzy but failed to captivate UK audiences. Despite the hype, the film couldn't crack the top 25 at the box office, debuting at a modest 29th place. But here's where it gets controversial: was it a flop or a strategic release?
The film, directed by Brett Ratner, managed to collect £32,974 from 155 cinemas, averaging £212.80 per screen. While this is a far cry from the reported £54.6 million paid by Amazon for distribution and promotion, it's not the catastrophic failure some predicted. However, the film's UK debut was described as 'soft' by Vue's CEO, Tim Richards, and many screenings were sparsely attended, with some even playing to empty rooms.
The lack of pre-release screenings added to the intrigue, as reporters rushed to view the film on its opening day. The Independent witnessed a near-empty screening, with only four attendees, two of whom were journalists. In contrast, some venues, like Vue Islington, were packed with journalists.
In the US, the film's performance was slightly better, grossing £2.1 million on its opening day from 1,778 cinemas, but it still couldn't escape the 'flop' label. It was outperformed by the horror film 'Iron Lung', a low-budget production that has surprisingly grossed seven times its budget.
'Iron Lung', inspired by a 2022 horror game, reached number 4 at the UK box office, surpassing the week's big-budget action film, 'Shelter', starring Jason Statham. Meanwhile, the top spot went to Chloé Zhao's Oscar-nominated drama, 'Hamnet'.
The Melania documentary covers the 20 days before her husband's second inauguration in 2025. Since its release, critical reviews have been predominantly negative, with a mere 10% rating on the platform. Interestingly, viewers have given it a 99% score, possibly indicating a political statement in support of the Trumps.
The Independent's Nick Hilton, in his one-star review, suggests that the film is more of a postmodern entertainment piece than a genuine documentary. He observes that Melania often portrays a staged version of herself, and the film's composition resembles reality TV more than a traditional documentary.
And this is the part most people miss: is the film's underwhelming performance a reflection of its quality or a result of political polarization? Could it be that the film's reception is less about the cinematic experience and more about the audience's political leanings? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
