A documentary about one of the most polarizing figures in modern politics just bombed at the UK box office—but why did it fail to capture audiences? The highly anticipated film Melania, directed by Brett Ratner, was expected to spark widespread interest, yet it stumbled out of the gate, debuting at a disappointing No. 29. Despite its hefty $75 million (£54.6 million) distribution and promotion deal with Amazon, the film grossed a mere £32,974 across 155 cinemas in its opening weekend, averaging just £212.80 per screen. But here’s where it gets controversial: while the numbers are underwhelming, they’re not the catastrophic flop many predicted. So, what went wrong—or did it?**
Ahead of its release, industry insiders like Vue CEO Tim Richards labeled UK ticket sales as “soft,” and the reality matched the forecast. Many screenings were nearly empty, with some theaters playing to completely vacant rooms. However, a few exceptions stood out, like Vue Islington, where seats were filled—mostly by journalists. The media frenzy surrounding the film reached a peak when Amazon opted not to preview it, prompting reporters to flock to theaters on its opening day, January 30. The Independent attended one such screening at Vue Westfield in Stratford, where just four audience members were present—two of whom were reporters. And this is the part most people miss: while the film tanked in the UK, it actually outperformed expectations in the US, grossing $2.9 million (£2.1 million) on its opening day. Yet, it still couldn’t compete with an unexpected rival—Iron Lung, a low-budget horror film made by YouTuber Mark Fischbach, which grossed $21 million (£15.3 million) on a $3 million (£2.1 million) budget.
Iron Lung, inspired by the 2022 horror game by David Szymanski, secured the No. 4 spot at the UK box office with £948,731, surpassing even the week’s big release, Shelter, starring Jason Statham. Meanwhile, the top spot went to Chloé Zhao’s Oscar-nominated Hamnet, which earned £1.4 million, bringing its total to £14.8 million. But here’s the real question: Was Melania’s failure a matter of poor execution, or did its subject matter simply fail to resonate with audiences?
The documentary follows the 20 days leading up to Donald Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025, but critics have been unforgiving. It currently holds a dismal 10% rating on review platforms, though audience scores tell a different story—viewers have awarded it a staggering 99%, seemingly in support of Trump. In a scathing one-star review for The Independent, Nick Hilton dismissed the film as “post-modern post-entertainment,” arguing that it blurs the line between reality TV and fiction. “Melania spends most scenes playing a staged version of herself,” Hilton wrote, “with shots composed as deliberately as Ratner’s work on X-Men: The Last Stand.” Is this a fair critique, or is Hilton missing the point? Could Melania be a deliberate commentary on the performative nature of politics itself?
What do you think? Was Melania’s box office failure a result of poor filmmaking, audience disinterest, or something more nuanced? Let us know in the comments—we’re eager to hear your take!
