Released in 2023, the movie Priscilla is a romance and drama film based on the 1985 memoir “Elvis and Me,” written by Priscilla Presley. The movie was written, directed, and produced by Sofia Coppola, the other producers being Youree Henley and Lorenzo Mieli. The movie stars Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla, who won a Volpi Cup for Best Actress. Elvis is portrayed by Jacob Elordi, who is widely known from his role in The Kissing Booth series.
The movie starts in a local diner in Germany. Priscilla, who is currently 14 years old, is approached by someone in the military. The man asks Priscilla if she’s from the United States. Once she confirms she’s from Texas, but is residing there due to family circumstances, he invites her to a party at Elvis Presley’s house. He claims that Elvis enjoys seeing people from back home.
24-year-old Elvis is very interested in her from the beginning, but once he finds out her age he says, “you’re just a baby.” However, this fact does not seem to bother him again at any point. Elvis appears excited to see her again, calling her often, and even meeting her stepfather to share his “intentions” with him. It does not take them very long to get into a romantic relationship, going on dates and continuing his parties. Once they get serious, Elvis decides to leave and pursue his dream of acting, telling Priscilla not to cry and to write him letters at every possible opportunity. He promises to return soon.
Years pass by, and Elvis invites her to stay with him for a few days in Memphis. Soon into the trip, he shares his sleeping pills with her, making her sleep for 2 days straight. They finish off the trip by going to LA.
By the age of 17, Priscilla had moved into Elvis’s house, and the movie shows him becoming more dependent on pills. Pretty soon, Priscilla suspects an affair from looking at pop culture magazines.
Soon after she graduates from high school, they get married. The movie explores the different dynamics of their marriage, showing huge moments of his temper, including him screaming, throwing things at her, and yelling at her to pack and leave while she’s in her 3rd trimester pregnant with their daughter.
Soon, Priscilla realizes they are living separate lives, as they are both unsatisfied and having affairs and tells him she’s leaving the marriage.
This movie is one of the best I have ever seen. With the aesthetic of the 1960s inspiring many young girls across the world when it came out, this has been an extremely impactful film. I really enjoyed the style and the way it was filmed; it captured a sense of realness that many movies cannot in terms of emotions and portraying girlhood. Sofia Coppola is an extremely talented writer and director. I enjoy how she prefers to use long takes and a more visual take on storytelling rather than explicit dialog.
I would recommend Priscilla to anyone who enjoys the 1960s aesthetic or someone who is interested in other perspectives. We all know how Elvis has been portrayed in the media; this gives a closer look at how he was in real everyday life. I recommend this to people who already might not like Elvis Presley, because once you finish watching, you will for sure start hating on him more.
