One of the best films of 2023 is now available to stream on Netflix, and yes, of course, I'm talking about Sofia Coppola's Priscilla. The film is based on Priscilla Presley's 1985 memoir Elvis and Me, which chronicles her relationship with the King of Rock and Roll from their very first meeting in Germany to his untimely death almost two decades later. Distributed by A24, Priscilla is a very subtle yet haunting look at their complicated romance which started when Priscilla was just 14 years old.
Priscilla puts a focus on Elvis' ex-wife as she navigates stardom, tries to finish high school living away from her parents, and struggles to deal with the many moods of Elvis. Cailee Spaeny gives a fantastic performance as the titular character, which earned her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the 80th Venice International Film Festival in 2023, along with a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress at this year's ceremony. She's certainly got a big career ahead of her.
Jacob Elordi does really sing in Priscilla, but don't expect a grand performance
In the role of Elvis, BAFTA Award nominee Jacob Elordi puts on his blue suede shoes in Priscilla. Unlike Baz Luhrmann's biopic Elvis starring Austin Butler, Elordi's Elvis is a co-star in Priscilla, as we get to see him through Priscilla's eyes. One very interesting thing about the movie is that it doesn't feature any Elvis songs — they couldn't get the rights — which only adds to Priscilla's perspective. So, no, you won't be seeing any extravagant performances from Elordi as Elvis in this movie.
That said, there is one scene in Priscilla in which Elvis plays piano and sings in his home. It's not a big performance or anything, but Elordi gets to show off his singing talent in this moment. And yes, it's really the Euphoria actor singing.
Similar to Butler for Elvis, Elordi had to put in a lot of work to get the iconic voice right in Priscilla. What's incredible is that Elordi only had three weeks between filming for Saltburn (in which his character has an English accent) and filming for Priscilla. In a video for Vanity Fair alongside Spaeny and Coppola, Elordi talked about finding his Elvis voice, explaining:
"I’m pretty lucky to kind of be in his register anyway. But I think, for me, it was trying to invent what he would sound like behind closed doors, because everyone has a performing voice and a speaking voice."Jacob Elordi on his Elvis voice
In the same video, Coppola remembered: “When we watched the film with Priscilla the first time, what struck her the most was how much his voice sounded like Elvis, so that was a big thrill," to which Elordi added: “It was a great relief.” The actor has since dropped the signature Elvis voice for other roles and his natural Australian accent.
When discussing comparisons between his portrayal and Butler's, Elordi told E! News: “I don’t know why people make art a blood sport. It’s f**king absurd.”
Elordi might not have as much singing in Priscilla as Butler does in Elvis, but his speaking voice as the King of Rock and Roll is certainly impressive. Be sure to stream Priscilla right now on Max.