Michelle Obama Sees 13,000% Viewing Spike as Melania Debuts to Poor Reviews, Soft Sales

Did you watch 'Melania?' You've probably seen the news that only a few sales went through. The release of Amazon's 'Melania' sent Netflix viewership for Michelle Obama's 'Becoming' through the roof at 13,000%, sending the former first lady's documentary back into the Top 10.

Over the weekend of 30th of January and 1st of February, 'Becoming' experienced a dramatic increase from 354,000 minutes watched to 47.5 million - a 13,000% increase.

The jump was sufficient to send the film back to Netflix's 'Top 10' charts.

The numbers, which were pulled from Luminate and the Hollywood Reporter, highlight a collective surge that dwarfed the typical weekend traffic for a documentary on the streaming platform.

'It's a petty protest, but a worthwhile one'

Conservatives, itching to hail the new Trump biopic, turned their gaze to the former first lady's biopic. Using social media to organise a streaming blitz, they streamed 'Becoming' in large volumes as an act of political statement.

The movement, organised on Threads and various other platforms, was a calculated effort to out-watch the 'Melania' film, the growing trend of online users using view counts as battlegrounds.

Shortly after the spike, 'Becoming' was retagged as a 'kids' film' in Netflix's catalogue, landing it at number 4 on the 'Top 10 Kids Films in the US Today' list.

While there has been no official statement, one of the Threads users said that a Netflix representative explained the 'Kids' label as due to the film's PG rating.

The label confusion added another layer to the debate, with viewers calling out the platform for what is perceived to be an apparent mistake that could skew audience perception.

Also an added boost for 'Melania'

While 'Becoming' rode the wave of user-generated traffic, 'Melania' itself fared mildly well in cinemas.

The Amazon MGM documentary, which was made with a budget of $40 million and an advertising budget of $35 million, made $7.1 million in its opening weekend.

However, it's still the strongest documentary opening in the US in over a decade. Internationally, though, the film came in at a more humble 29 in the UK and 31 in Australia, reflecting a more modest reception abroad.

The contrast in critical reception is severe.

'Becoming' is rated 93 out of 100 by critics at Rotten Tomatoes, indicating widespread critical approval of the film. In contrast, 'Melania' rests at an insulting 5% critics calling it 'a gilded trash remake'.

The audience for 'Melania' tended to be white women over the age of 55, a demographic that may explain why it was a box office hit even as it received lukewarm reviews at home.

The film's director, Brett Ratner, who was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017, has defended himself after a photograph connecting him with Jeffrey Epstein leaked out.

Ratner insisted that he had no personal relationship with Epstein.

These controversies might have contributed to the polarised view of the film.