Full Story The Sunday read: 'I endured the Melania film so you don’t have to'
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Feb 7, 2026 Caitlin Cassidy, an education reporter for The Guardian, sat through the much-maligned Melania documentary and reports back. She describes an almost-empty screening, confusions around ticketing and embargoes, and questions who the film was made for. She critiques the film’s pacing, staged White House moments, awkward interactions with Trump, and its parade of fashion and inauguration scenes.
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Emptiness Of The Sydney Premiere
- Caitlin Cassidy describes attending a near-empty Sydney screening of Melania and feeling the atmosphere was 'horrific.'
- She recounts the tiny audience, awkward seating, and withdrawn reactions that made the screening feel like an odd PR event.
Feels Like A Propaganda Piece
- The film documents the 20 days before Donald Trump's return to power and feels like a crafted PR exercise.
- Caitlin notes Brett Ratner's involvement and frames the movie as propaganda rather than investigative biography.
Boring Domestic Details On Screen
- Cassidy describes the film's slow pace: ten minutes of transport shots, voiceovers, outfit fittings, and menu choices.
- She highlights stilted interactions with Donald Trump and Melania's mostly robotic demeanor on camera.