Radio Atlantic

The Meaning of ’Melania’

2026-02-07

The Melania movie is pitched as a documentary following the first lady of the United States in the lead-up to her husband’s second inauguration. But it’s missing all the hallmarks of a journalistic, biographical film. What you get instead is a series of aphorisms that clang loudly against the reality being shaped by Donald Trump. And of course, shot after shot of $1,000 shoes, gold decorations, and private planes. The Atlantic staff writer Sophie Gilbert describes the film as a “two-hour perfume comme...