Sofia Coppola's movie Priscilla, based on the memoir "Elvis and Me" by Priscilla Presley, offers an intimate and deeply personal look into the life of Priscilla Beaulieu and her complex, long-term relationship with Elvis Presley. The film is a portrait of love, fantasy, and the often-unseen side of fame, told entirely from Priscilla's perspective.
The story begins in the late 1950s, when a teenage Priscilla Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny), a military brat living in Germany, finds her life irrevocably changed. She meets Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi), a meteoric rock-and-roll superstar who is serving in the U.S. Army. Despite their age difference and his celebrity status, Elvis is portrayed as someone entirely unexpected in private—a vulnerable confidant and a thrilling crush. Against her parents' better judgment, a romance blossoms, leading to a life-altering invitation for Priscilla to leave her family and live with him at his Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee.
From her early teenage years, the movie follows Priscilla's journey as she navigates a world she never imagined. She moves into the iconic mansion, attending a Catholic girls' school by day and living with "the King" by night. The film expertly captures the strange, isolated reality of her existence. She is surrounded by luxury and a certain kind of love, yet is also incredibly lonely, often waiting for Elvis to return from his film shoots and concert tours. The film’s aesthetics and cinematography play a crucial role in conveying this sense of both awe and confinement, with the colors and atmosphere shifting from the soft, rosy tones of her early romance to a colder, more stark reality as she grows older and her disillusionment with the relationship deepens.
The movie delves into the intense power dynamics and subtle emotional control within the relationship. Elvis is shown as a man who is both charming and demanding, influencing every aspect of Priscilla's life, from her wardrobe and hairstyle to her makeup. Cailee Spaeny’s performance is central to the film's success, portraying a nuanced and layered character who transforms from a wide-eyed schoolgirl into a young woman struggling to find her own identity outside of her famous husband's shadow. The film focuses on her internal experiences and the pressures imposed on her, giving a voice to a story that has long been relegated to the sidelines of a larger-than-life celebrity narrative.
Jacob Elordi's portrayal of Elvis is not a typical impression. Instead of focusing on the bombast and charisma of the public figure, the film presents a more private, subdued, and often volatile man. This choice keeps the focus firmly on Priscilla, preventing Elvis's iconic presence from overshadowing her story. The film also touches on the role of drug use and the constant presence of other women in Elvis's life, which further strains their marriage.
Priscilla is an absorbing, intimate portrait that explores the themes of femininity, loneliness, and the struggle for self-definition within a high-profile, co-dependent relationship. It is a story about a young woman who was defined by her proximity to a powerful man and her eventual journey to reclaim her own life and identity. The movie is less about the grand spectacle of rock-and-roll fame and more about the quiet, often claustrophobic reality of living a life in the shadow of a legend.
Priscilla is a 2023 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 53 minutes.
It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.5 and a MetaScore of 79.
