A captivating rivalry between former first ladies is captivating social media, as Michelle Obama’s documentary experiences a resurgence in viewership following the debut of Melania Trump’s new film.
Nearly six years after its initial release on Netflix in 2020, “Becoming,” the documentary chronicling Obama’s journey, has re-emerged in the spotlight, climbing into the streaming platform’s Daily Top 10 list in the United States this week.
This renewed interest appears to coincide with the theatrical release of “Melania,” a documentary offering an inside look at Melania Trump’s life, which premiered last week.
Both documentaries provide intimate glimpses into the lives of these first ladies during transformative periods. Obama’s film captures her book tour following her memoir’s release, while Trump’s documentary focuses on the 20-day period leading up to President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January of last year.
Although initially met with moderate viewership, with about 1.5 million views from 2023 to 2025 according to Netflix’s engagement data, Obama’s “Becoming” has maintained a loyal audience over the years.
In contrast, “Melania” achieved remarkable financial success, grossing $7 million in ticket sales across the United States and Canada last week, marking the most successful theatrical documentary debut, excluding concert films, since 2012.
It surpassed initial ticket sale projections, which sat around $3 million to $5 million, based on the pace of ticket sales last week.
The film cost $40 million to license and $35 million to market.
A battle of the first ladies has taken over social media – with Michelle Obama’s documentary enjoying a sudden spike in popularity amid Melania Trump’s debut film
In light of the increased interest in Obama’s film, many of her fans have taken to social media to pledge their allegiance to their favorite First Lady – as well as her body of work.
‘If you want to watch a documentary about a smart, accomplished, classy First Lady, watch Becoming on Netflix. Michelle Obama is a true national treasure,’ one user shared to X, formerly Twitter.
Another snarked: ‘Funny how Melania’s movie opening is so similar to Becoming – hmmm… Melania always copying a real First Lady Michelle Obama who is a truly intellectual. Jealous a little?’
‘Rather than wasting time watching a vapid woman walk in and out of rooms and cars in Louboutins, watch ‘Becoming,’ about Michelle Obama, a first lady with substance AND style, intelligence, humor and heart.
‘You will be reminded that once we had a first lady as good as she was,’ someone wrote.
However, on the other hand, many championed Melania’s film, which had the biggest opening for a non-fiction feature in the last decade.
‘Michelle Obama’s BECOMING documentary on Netflix. That is a hard pass!!!’ one Melania fan furiously wrote.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Melania received five percent on Tomatometer, while Becoming has a whopping 93 percent.
Both films follow the first ladies at pivotal moments in their careers and lives in the White House- Obama, as she tours with her memoir, and Trump in the 20 days in January of last year before President Donald Trump’s inauguration
Melania earned $7 million in ticket sales across the US and Canada, making it the best-performing theatrical release for a documentary, outside of concert films, since 2012
According to Newsweek, Obama’s 2020 film, directed by Nadia Hallgren, re-entered the movie rankings over the weekend, first debuting at number eight, before moving up to sixth position on Monday
However, Obama’s film has a 77 percent audience score, while Melania has an impressive 99 percent audience score.
According to Newsweek, Obama’s 2020 film, directed by Nadia Hallgren, re-entered the movie rankings over the weekend, first debuting at number eight, before moving up to sixth position on Monday.
The documentary, produced by the Obama’s media company Higher Ground Productions, has an 89-minute runtime.
It follows the former first lady on her 34-city tour to support her bestselling memoir of the same name.
The logline for the film reads: ‘Join former first lady Michelle Obama in an intimate documentary looking at her life, hopes, and connection with others as she tours with ‘Becoming.’ The approach focuses on her personal reflections, family roots, and the people she meets on the road.’
Melania, which was directed by Rush Hour’s Brett Ratner, has an increased runtime of 108 minutes.
It was the first movie directed by Ratner since 2017, when he was accused by six women of sexual misconduct. Ratner has denied the allegations.
