Amazon MGM paid $40 million for the distribution rights and reportedly poured another $35 million into marketing. The film beat box office predictions to earn more than $7 million over the weekend but will need to generate much more box office to break even.
But that matters little: it has widely been viewed as a goodwill payment to President Donald Trump and his family as Amazon shores up its lucrative government contracts. Trump himself called allegations of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos currying favor with the Trump administration "fake news."
Reviews have been terrible, with The Daily Beast referring to the film as "insipid propaganda that almost resists review" and The Guardian likening it to a "pure, endless hell" that “plays like a gilded trash remake” of The Zone of Interest, the Jonathan Glazer-directed Holocaust drama about Nazi Rudolf Höss.
And yet the film, which currently has a 6% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, has a 99% audience score by 5-star reviewers who "decided this would be the first movie they ever review on Rotten Tomatoes," per one eagle-eyed social media user.
Consider some of these reviews by accounts that popped up and have no review history... yet refer to the film as "very well done and interesting," "exceptionally well done—both educational and inspiring," and "a good movie about an exceedingly accomplished woman."
Wrote one "reviewer":
"It was great to see the behind the scenes the [sic] love, happiness and good-humored Presidential couple."
@obamaatredrobin/X
People are not impressed.
The documentary has been a punchline from the beginning.
Last week, the documentary invited further scorn and ridicule after Regal Cinemas began selling "limited edition" Melania popcorn buckets for $12.99 at theaters screening the film. The novelty items have already surfaced on eBay, though it remains unclear how sellers obtained them.
Amazon's deal for the film also included the rights to a follow-up series about Mrs. Trump.
These imperialistic desires are happening against the backdrop of the ongoing Epstein files scandal—Trump has done everything he can to dismiss or downplay the outrage surrounding the documents, which are said to contain detailed lists of some of Epstein's most high-profile clients and enablers.
After Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas accepted their award for Song of the Year, Noah joked:
"That's a Grammy that every artist wants—almost as much as Trump wants Greenland. Which makes sense because, since Epstein’s gone, he needs a new island to hang out with Bill Clinton. I told you, it’s my last year! What are you going to do about it?”
You can hear what Noah said in the video below.
Noah's remark came just days after the Justice Department released about 3 million new documents collected as part of its years' long investigation into Epstein.
According to an internal email sent last year by an FBI official, Trump is among roughly six high-profile men referenced in bureau files containing what the official described as “salacious information.”
Portions of that material stem from more than a dozen submissions made to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center in West Virginia. Several of those tips allege sexual abuse involving Trump and Epstein. Last summer, FBI officials consolidated the submissions into a briefing document, which was included in the batch of records made public on Friday.
In total, the most recent release from the Justice Department includes more than 5,300 documents containing upwards of 38,000 mentions of Donald Trump, his wife, his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, and related terms. Earlier releases of the Epstein-related records, made public late last year, contained an additional 130 files with references tied to Trump.
Trump was incensed by Noah's joke and attacked him in a Truth Social post in which he threatened legal action:
"The Grammy Awards are the WORST, virtually unwatchable! CBS is lucky not to have this garbage litter their airwaves any longer. The host, Trevor Noah, whoever he may be, is almost as bad as Jimmy Kimmel at the Low Ratings Academy Awards."
"Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! I can’t speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonight’s false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media."
"Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast. It looks like I’ll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$. Ask Little George Slopadopolus, and others, how that all worked out. Also ask CBS!"
"Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you!"
You can see Trump's post below.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
Neither the Recording Academy nor representatives for Noah have publicly responded to Trump’s remarks—but the post certainly exposed the president to heated criticism online.
Nothing seems to get under Trump's skin more than television hosts making jokes at his expense.
The popstar turned heads on the red carpet in a lovely, sheer, vintage Valentino dress, before she donned an adorable flight attendant outfit for an airplane-themed rendition of "Manchild," which was the song behind four of her six nominations.
But when it came time for the awards to be announced, Carpenter fans quickly started to feel gutted and cheated on the singer's behalf as she lost one category after the next.
TikToker @.a.zan compiled Carpenter's reactions to her losses throughout the evening, her face looking increasingly devastated and her eyes tearing up.
It started with the loss of Best Pop Vocal Album, which Man's Best Friend had been nominated for, only for Lady Gaga and Mayhem to take it home.
Then Carpenter's Man's Best Friend lost Album of the Year to Bad Bunny's Débi Tirar Más Fotos.
Carpenter's song "Manchild" then lost Record of the Year to Kendrick Lamar and SZA's "Luther," Song of the Year to Billie Eilish's "Wildflower," Best Pop Solo Performance to Lola Young's "Messy," and Best Music Video to Doechii's "Anxiety."
You can watch the video here:
Some were heartbroken on Sabrina Carpenter's behalf.
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Others called the Grammys out, claiming that Carpenter was snubbed this year.
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Sabrina Carpenter fans on X were equally upset.
It seems that every award season, there's an artist, album, actor, or film that is snubbed into oblivion, despite the work put into their performances and projects.
Sabrina Carpenter missing out on the 2026 Grammys has been compared to the five years that Ariana Grande fans felt she was snubbed for her various albums, as well as Billie Eilish being snubbed multiple years in a row, especially for her album Hit Me Hard and Soft.
It's just a reminder that art is incredibly subjective, and there's always next year.
