“Melania” arrives not as a quiet character study, but as a full-scale political and cultural event. Conceived by Melania herself after Donald Trump’s 2024 victory, the film tracks her from Trump Tower to Mar-a-Lago to Washington, D.C., in the pressure-cooker days before the 2025 inauguration. She isn’t a passive subject; she’s the executive producer, shaping the camera’s gaze, the edit, and even the marketing. Amazon’s decision to pay an unprecedented sum and launch the documentary in more than 1,500 theaters turns a First Lady’s perspective into a blockbuster-sized bet.

That bet has split the documentary world. Critics see a glossy, tightly controlled narrative that blurs the line between nonfiction and political branding. Supporters argue Amazon’s data-driven confidence and global reach will turn curiosity into massive viewership. As a star-studded Washington premiere collides with a crowded box office weekend, one question hangs over “Melania”: is this history being documented, or power being perfectly lit?