‘Melania’ Ranked Among Worst-Reviewed Films in IMDb History

The recently released documentary Melania — chronicling the life and role of former First Lady Melania Trump — has become not just a box-office talking point but also a record-setter for negative user reviews. According to IMDb user scores, the film currently sits at around 1.3 out of 10, placing it in the bottom five rated movies in the site’s history among hundreds of thousands of titles.

Historic IMDb Low Score

IMDb, the movie database widely regarded as one of the largest repositories of user-generated ratings, lists Melania with a 1.3/10 user rating based on tens of thousands of votes. That score is so low that — among all films with substantial user participation — it ranks it alongside notorious entries like Daniel The Wizard (1.2), Smolensk (1.2), Foodfight! (1.3) and Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas (1.3), all widely cited among the lowest in IMDb history.

For a film of this profile — backed by a major distributor and centered on a former first lady — landing near the bottom of IMDb’s all-time rankings is highly unusual and has drawn widespread attention. Some users have reported that the score dipped even lower during initial phases of rating before modestly rising, underscoring the intensity of early user reactions.

“Melania” Box Office vs. Audience Reaction

Interestingly, Melania’s low IMDb score contrasts sharply with how it performed on the opening weekend. The documentary earned about $7 million domestically, marking what trade outlets have described as the strongest documentary opening in more than a decade. While that reflected higher turnout than projections, some analysts note that Melania’s theatrical success is relative to the typically lower commercial impact of documentary films — and does not necessarily signal broad mainstream appeal.

Part of this disconnect may be due to how different platforms measure reception. For example, some early reports show Melania has a very high Rotten Tomatoes “verified audience” score, even as professional critics and broad IMDb users rate it extremely poorly. Critics have largely panned the film’s content, pacing, and overall purpose, while portions of the audience — especially those aligned with Melania Trump’s political base — have expressed support.

Why Are the “Melania” Ratings so Negative?

Several factors appear to be driving Melania’s historic negative ratings:

• Perception of Insufficient Insight: Many critics describe the documentary as lacking depth or new revelations about Melania Trump’s life. Reviews argue that it feels like a curated image piece rather than a probing, substantive look at its subject.
• Accusations of Propaganda: Some reviewers and cultural commentators have framed the film as a promotional or political artifact rather than an unbiased documentary. This has influenced both professional criticism and user backlash.
• Review Bombing and Polarisation: A film tied to high-profile political figures often attracts intense online reaction. IMDb ratings do not require proof of viewing, and critics note that polarised groups can use user ratings as a proxy protest metric rather than purely film appraisal.

The combination of these elements has created a volatile rating environment, with Melania’s position among IMDB’s lowest-rated films illustrating how audience and critic responses can diverge dramatically.

Critical Response and Cultural Backlash

Professional reviews have been similarly harsh. In early critiques — often published around the film’s release — outlets described Melania as lacking compelling narrative structure and failing to offer meaningful insight into its subject. Some critics labelled the film repetitive or shallow, and a few outright dismissed it as propaganda rather than documentary filmmaking.

The strong negative reception has also sparked broader cultural conversation. Some observers see Melania’s backlash as less about filmmaking craft and more about political and social polarization — with the documentary becoming a lightning rod for critiques of both the Trump family and Hollywood’s political ties.

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