Guardian Downgrades Melania Documentary to Zero Stars

Paper reveals that critic Xan Brooks awarded the $75M film the lowest possible rating.

Published on Feb. 4, 2026

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The Guardian has corrected its already negative one-star review of the $75 million documentary on Melania Trump, downgrading it to zero stars. Critic Xan Brooks said the film, which follows the then-future first lady in the 20 days before Donald Trump's second inauguration, "barely qualifies as a documentary" and is "dispiriting," "deadly," and "spectacularly unrevealing." The Guardian is far from alone in its harsh assessment, with other reviews calling the Brett Ratner-directed film an "abomination" and "insipid propaganda."

Why it matters

The Melania documentary has received overwhelmingly negative reviews, with the Guardian's zero-star rating placing it among the worst-reviewed films in the publication's two-century history. This reflects the broader critical reception of the film, which has been panned for its perceived lack of substance and emotional depth.

The details

The Guardian initially gave the Melania documentary a one-star review, but has since corrected that to zero stars, the lowest possible rating. Critic Xan Brooks likened the film to "designer taxidermy" - high-end and glossy, but "emotionally empty." He compared it to a "gilded trash remake" of the Holocaust movie The Zone of Interest, with Melania as a "button-eyed Cinderella" distracting viewers from the alleged scheming of Trump and his allies in the background.

  • The Melania documentary premiered on Friday, February 4, 2026, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

The players

Xan Brooks

A critic for The Guardian who awarded the Melania documentary a zero-star rating, the lowest possible score.

Brett Ratner

The director of the Melania documentary, which has received overwhelmingly negative reviews.

Melania Trump

The subject of the $75 million documentary, which follows her in the 20 days before Donald Trump's second inauguration.

Donald Trump

The former U.S. president, whose allies are alleged to be scheming in the background of the Melania documentary.

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What they’re saying

“The film barely qualifies as a documentary, likening it instead to "designer taxidermy" - high-end, glossy, and emotionally empty.”

— Xan Brooks, Critic (The Guardian)

“The Melania documentary is an "abomination" and "insipid propaganda" that is so predictable it almost defies critique.”

— Kevin Fallon, Reviewer (The Daily Beast)

The takeaway

The overwhelmingly negative reviews of the Melania documentary, including the Guardian's rare zero-star rating, highlight the film's perceived lack of substance and emotional depth. This reflects the broader critical reception of the $75 million production, which has been panned as "dispiriting," "deadly," and "spectacularly unrevealing."