The release of First Lady Melania Trump’s documentary in theaters has triggered an unexpected phenomenon: a massive resurgence in viewership for Michelle Obama’s 2020 Netflix film “Becoming.”
According to Luminate data, the former first lady’s documentary saw a staggering 13,300 percent increase in U.S. viewership over the weekend that “Melania” opened in cinemas. Netflix users streamed more than 47.5 million minutes of “Becoming” during that period, compared to just 354,000 minutes the previous weekend—a spike that began precisely as “Melania” debuted in theaters across the country.
The surge appears driven by a coordinated social media campaign encouraging viewers to stream Obama’s documentary as a counter-protest to the current first lady’s theatrical release. The campaign spread across platforms, with users urging audiences to make “Becoming” the number one film on Netflix. The effort worked: the documentary climbed back into Netflix’s U.S. Top 10, reaching No. 6 by Monday, February 2.
“The resurgence of interest in ‘Becoming’ is a prime example of audiences discovering, or re-discovering, catalog content due to larger conversations in the zeitgeist,” said Jimmy Harney, Luminate Communications Lead.
The Obama documentary, which follows the former first lady on her 34-city book tour and provides intimate glimpses into her life in Chicago and at the White House, holds a 93 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. By comparison, “Melania” landed a dismal 6 percent critics’ score—though its 99 percent audience score marks the largest critic-audience disparity in Rotten Tomatoes history. Rotten Tomatoes confirmed the audience reviews are verified ticket purchases, not bot manipulation.
Despite the critical drubbing, “Melania” posted the best opening weekend for a non-concert documentary in 14 years, earning $7 million at the domestic box office. The film follows Melania Trump through the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025, capturing her meetings with stylists, interior designers, and political allies. Audiences were overwhelmingly 55 and older (72%), female (72%), and white (75%), with Florida and Texas among the top-performing markets.
Yet the box office numbers fall far short of what Amazon MGM Studios needs to recoup its investment. The company reportedly paid $40 million for the film and companion docuseries—the highest price ever paid for a documentary—then spent an additional $35 million on marketing. Industry analysts had projected an opening weekend of $3 million to $5 million, making the actual performance a surprise, though still insufficient for theatrical profitability.
The film marks the return of director Brett Ratner, known for “Rush Hour” and “X-Men: The Last Stand,” who has been working from Israel since 2017 following multiple sexual misconduct allegations by six women, including actress Olivia Munn. Ratner has denied any wrongdoing and faces no criminal charges. According to Rolling Stone, approximately two-thirds of crew members who worked on the film in New York requested their names be removed from the credits.
The contrasting trajectories of the two documentaries highlight the cultural divide surrounding America’s current and former first ladies. While Obama’s film was released in May 2020, nearly four years after her husband Barack Obama left office, Melania Trump broke with tradition by releasing a commercial project while still in the White House—a move that prompted ethics experts to question whether Amazon’s lavish spending constituted an attempt to curry favor with the administration.
The streaming battle took a strange turn when “Becoming” was briefly recategorized under Netflix’s Kids section, where it appeared at No. 4 on the Kids Top 10. The move sparked outrage among viewers who accused Netflix of attempting to bury the documentary’s performance. Netflix has not publicly addressed the recategorization, though one user claimed a representative attributed it to the film’s PG rating. The documentary has since been restored to adult categories.
The saga took another turn when the Lake Theater and Cafe in Lake Oswego, Oregon, reported that Amazon pulled “Melania” from the venue after the theater posted jokes about the film on its marquee. The cinema had promoted the screening with messages including a Sun Tzu quote: “To defeat your enemy you must know them. Melania starts Friday.” The theater’s manager said Amazon informed them the studio was displeased with the marketing.
“Melania” struggled internationally, opening at number 29 in the United Kingdom with just £32,974 from 155 cinemas—an average of £212.80 per screen. In Australia, it ranked 31st with AUD$32,399 from 33 theaters. South African distributor Filmfinity cancelled the release entirely, citing “recent developments.”
Amazon MGM Studios expects to eventually stream both “Melania” and its companion series on Prime Video, where the company anticipates recouping some costs through advertising revenue and new streaming subscriptions. Industry analysts estimate the film would need to gross roughly $187.5 million worldwide to break even on theatrical release alone—a virtually impossible target.
Meanwhile, “Becoming” continues to draw viewers nearly six years after its initial release, demonstrating the enduring appeal of Michelle Obama’s story. The documentary captures her journey from Chicago’s South Side to the White House, featuring personal reflections on her family, her late father, and her relationship with her husband.
The dueling documentaries have created an unusual cultural moment, with audiences using their viewing choices to make political statements. The calculated streaming of “Becoming” during “Melania’s” opening weekend represents a new form of digital activism, where entertainment consumption becomes a proxy for political expression—and where algorithms become another battleground in America’s ongoing culture wars.