‘No one saw that coming’: Critics pan ‘Melania’ with abysmal score, but Americans love first lady film, giving it astonishing rating

The President’s Own U.S. Marine Band Orchestra performs at a black-tie dinner for the nation’s governors hosted by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in the Grand Foyer of the White House. (Official White House photo by Andrea Hanks)

PALM BEACH, Florida – The new film “Melania,” which scored the best box-office opening for a documentary in more than a decade with $8 million, apparently has a huge disconnect between professional critics and regular Americans.