Bulwark Takes: "The Melania Movie Is a $75 Million Bribe"

Host: Jonathan V. Last (JVL)
Guest: Sonny Bunch
Date: January 31, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Bulwark Takes dives into the controversy surrounding the new Melania Trump documentary, critiquing both its content and the business/political motivations behind its production. Host Jonathan V. Last and guest Sonny Bunch—having just watched the film—unpack why Amazon/MGM spent $75 million on what they view as less a documentary and more a sycophantic, reality-TV-style project with questionable artistic or commercial merit. The episode is rich in skepticism, measured outrage, and dark humor, skewering the intersection of politics, media, and culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Business Behind the Melania Movie

• Financials & Bribery Allegation

  • Sonny frames the film's enormous $75 million budget (including $40 million in rights, $35 million in marketing) as an "open air bribe" rather than a traditional business venture.

    "My sense is this isn't a movie, it's an open air bribe." — Jonathan V. Last [01:41]

  • Most successful right-leaning documentaries (e.g. Dinesh D’Souza’s) earn $5–15M; those are made cheaply, not tens of millions.

    "Those are big numbers for documentaries... but those are all very cheap movies." — Sonny Bunch [01:53]

• Distribution of Funds & Brett Ratner’s Motives

  • 70% of the purchase reportedly goes directly to Melania Trump’s production company, with much of the rest spent on music licensing and top-tier cameramen.
  • Director Brett Ratner’s comeback attempt: After “getting MeToo’d pretty hard,” Ratner seeks to regain Hollywood cred by aligning with Trump & leveraging connections like Steven Mnuchin.

    "He got MeToo’d very hard... he wants back in." — Sonny Bunch [04:39]

• Other Auction Bids & Amazon’s Overpayment

  • Competing companies like Disney allegedly offered $14M; Paramount settled on $4M. Apple and Netflix walked away.

    "Is that how you do like business?... Well, I bid 14 million. Well, I bid 40 million." — Jonathan V. Last [08:25]

  • The gigantic marketing push—$35M for prints & advertising—appears outlandish for a documentary, possibly designed more for influence than revenue.

    "The only reason you would do something like that is if you really wanted to demonstrate... you were putting a lot of money behind this thing." — Sonny Bunch [06:26]

• Economic Absurdity of the Release

  • The film would need to gross $150M worldwide to break even—something that’s only happened for a tiny handful of documentaries in film history.
  • The actual tracking for opening weekend is $5–10M, far below needed targets.

    "It's going to have to gross about $150 million." — Sonny Bunch [07:23]
    "This is not going to open to $50 million. I don't think." — Sonny Bunch [11:53]

Content & Style of the Movie

• More Reality TV than Documentary

  • Sonny labels the film a miscategorized reality TV show; it’s all stylized glamour shots, staged entrances, and hagiography.

    "Describing this as a documentary is an absolute category error... It's a reality TV show crossed with Entourage." — Sonny Bunch [14:47]

• Audience Reaction

  • Older Dallas audience responds enthusiastically, clapping at the end; film is crafted to delight ‘the base.’

    "They were very into Melania sticking it to the libtards." — Sonny Bunch [16:09]

• Selective Storytelling & Whitewashing

  • The film glosses over policy (especially immigration), shows Melania in flattering, supportive roles, and ignores controversial events like January 6th.

    "No January 6th stuff." — Sonny Bunch [17:11]

  • Example of solipsism: Melania attends Jimmy Carter’s funeral but only discusses her own mother—never mentioning Carter’s legacy.

    "It was so mind boggling... complete, in total focus on her life for something that happened again a year ago." — Sonny Bunch [19:13]

• Music, Fashion, & Lifestyles of the Rich

  • Lavish music rights secured; stylish camera work highlights Melania’s fashion and lifestyle, reminiscent of high-glamour reality TV.

    "She actually is best at... understands how clothes should look good for her." — Sonny Bunch [24:45]

Meta-commentary and Satirical Moments

• Audience of One

  • The movie is described as crafted for a single viewer—Donald Trump himself.

    "This is a $75 million production... that has an audience of one." — Sonny Bunch [20:56], [25:25]

• Free Market Cynicism

  • JVL and Sonny underscore the perverse logic of illiberal economies, where political influence trumps profitability.

    "When you get into illiberal regime territory, none of that profit loss stuff matters at all. All that matters is making sure that you’re ... on the good list." — Jonathan V. Last [25:01]

• Speculation on Trump and the Film

  • Amused speculation that Trump might never actually watch the full documentary, preferring press coverage instead.

    "I can't imagine he watches the whole thing because he's so busy working for us, the people." — Sonny Bunch [21:55]

• Brett Ratner’s Sycophancy

  • Ratner’s audible flattery catches attention as emblematic of Hollywood’s transactional culture.

    "[You] hear him in the background being like... 'Oh, isn't this so... I can't believe I'm here in the White House.'" — Sonny Bunch [22:29]

• Baron Trump’s Cameo & The Next Generation

  • Melania comes alive discussing Baron, whom the hosts joke about as a future billionaire and political heir.

    "It's coming. I'm excited for the Baron Trump sequel." — Sonny Bunch and Jonathan V. Last [24:01–24:14]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "This isn't a movie, it's an open air bribe."
  — Jonathan V. Last [01:41]

• "Describing this as a documentary is an absolute category error... This is Keeping up with the Kardashians for Melania Trump."
  — Sonny Bunch [14:47]

• "No January 6th stuff... I leave that up to you, JBL. You're eating the sins of the world for all of us."
  — Sonny Bunch [17:11 & 17:21]

• "There was that whole thing like, go woke, go broke, right? ... When you get into like illiberal regime territory, none of that profit/loss stuff matters at all."
  — Jonathan V. Last [25:01]

• "Audience of one."
  — Sonny Bunch [20:56], repeated [25:25]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [01:00] Opening remarks; why the film is being made
• [03:13] Ratner’s comeback, Hollywood politicking
• [06:14–06:38] Absurdity of the marketing budget
• [07:23–08:09] Economic logic of documentaries
• [08:25] Other bidders and Amazon’s odd priorities
• [10:09–10:41] Needed box office for break-even
• [11:21–12:15] Tracking numbers and audience turnout
• [14:47] Artistic appraisal: Why it’s not a real documentary
• [16:09] Audience reaction and “sticking it to the libs”
• [17:11] Whitewashing and solipsism; Jimmy Carter funeral
• [20:56] "Audience of one" and Trump-centric logic
• [22:29] Ratner sycophancy; Trump family representation
• [24:01–24:14] Baron Trump jokes and the next generation
• [25:01] Satire on economics and illiberal regimes

Tone and Language

The episode is laced with deadpan wit, exasperated incredulity, and irreverent sarcasm. Speakers riff off each other with frequent callbacks to running jokes about the Trump era, mock-mourn the "death of the free market," and employ pop culture references (“Entourage,” “Keeping Up With the Kardashians”) to lampoon the film's style.

Summary Takeaway

"The Melania Movie Is a $75 Million Bribe" contends that the film serves less as art or commerce and more as a lavish, thinly-disguised political favor—a reality TV spectacle engineered for influence over profit. It is a microcosm of contemporary illiberal power dynamics, satirized and dissected with signature Bulwark skepticism and gallows humor. Listeners come away dubious about the project's success—and the motivations at play behind its glossy surface.