Picture Credit: Netflix

It is uncommon for a documentary released nearly six years ago to organically re-enter the Daily Top 10s, but that is exactly what we are tracking this weekend with Michelle Obama’s 2020 film, Becoming. The reason why? You can probably guess… 

The documentary, directed by Nadia Hallgren, was first released on Netflix on May 6th, 2020, and was later nominated for several awards. It was one of the earliest projects Netflix produced under its overall deal with Higher Ground Productions, owned by the Obamas, which is still developing new projects with the streamer.  The official synopsis of 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 movie was by no means a blockbuster hit upon its initial release, spending just six days in the top 10s. The Netflix Engagement Reports suggest the movie picked up 1.5M views between 2023 and 2025.

On Sunday, the documentary re-entered the US Top 10 Movies at #8, and today, February 2nd, it climbed two spots to #6. This phenomenon is, perhaps unsurprisingly, exclusive to the United States.

For the most part, Netflix’s daily top 10s are exclusively driven by fresh new releases from the past 30 days or so, but once in a while, we do see titles get back into the top 10s. Most of the time, it’s because of a social media push (see Ginny & Georgia’s return in 2022, for example), but other times, the reason isn’t as obvious.

The resurgence, of course, coincides with the theatrical release of the Amazon MGM Studios documentary Melania. Netflix subscribers in the United States appear to be engaging in a wave of “counter-programming.” Over the weekend, several viral posts on social media, including X, Threads, and TikTok, urged viewers to watch the former First Lady’s documentary to outshine Melania.

The viral campaign gained traction on TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) under the hashtag #BecomingOverMelania.

@stevevonandbritt Say less… Let’s make Becoming number 1!#becomingovermelania #becoming ##michelleobama#netflix #greenscreensticker ♬ original sound – SteveVon and Britt

Users described the streaming push as a “cultural power move” and a form of resistance, encouraging followers to stream and rate the 2020 documentary to help it trend alongside the theatrical competitor. This coordinated effort successfully manipulated the “Top 10” algorithm, which heavily weights recent viewership velocity.

The resurgence of Becoming comes amid a polarizing yet financially significant opening for Melania. The film defied some early negative tracking to gross an estimated $7 million in its opening weekend, securing the #3 spot at the domestic box office. It is the strongest debut for a non-concert documentary in over a decade, though it comes with some asterisks attached.

The film’s performance is mired in controversy regarding its budget and the circumstances of its production. Amazon MGM Studios reportedly spent $40 million on acquisition and another $35 million on marketing, bringing the total spend to roughly $75 million. For comparison, most high-profile documentaries cost a fraction of this figure (Planet Earth cost the BBC roughly $25 million). This unprecedented spend has sparked debate among industry analysts about the economics of the release and Amazon’s strategic positioning.