The movie Priscilla came out October 27th of last year. Directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla and Jacob Elordi as Elvis. It is the story of Priscilla’s life starting before she met Elvis and what she endured during that time. Weedsport’s Finley Manna said, “I loved it. I thought it portrayed Priscilla in a way that the public hasn’t seen before. It showed her life and what she went through instead of just her in relation to Elvis.”
This movie was released not too long after the Elvis movie starring Austin Butler. Which Priscilla plays little part in. It is based on his life and how fame affected it. Unlike that version, this movie did not romanticize Elvis in any way. It shows his true colors and how he took advantage of her as a young girl. Cailee and Jacob did an amazing job playing the part in such short filming time. It was a sad story but I do wish there was more to the ending. I craved more story of her life outside of Elvis, what she did when she was finally able to leave.
Some people love the truth and awareness it brought but others believed she isn’t “crass enough to make this a good versus evil tale.” But most critics confirm this is worth the watch and a good way to portray toxicity and what you see is not always true behind closed doors.
This movie shows what it was like to be manipulated by Elvis as basically a child. She was introduced to him by adults knowing her age. She was going across the country to visit him, alone; and eventually she moved in with him. Her parents did not want to allow this and her mother begged her to be with someone her own age but still allowed her to leave. She spent most of her time alone even though she lived with him. He was either working, or even further away on tour. He did not prioritize her in the slightest. Him being away wasn’t just him “being away,” she wouldn’t hear from him for months. Not a call, not a letter, nothing. He wasn’t just living out his dreams as a singer he was also constantly unfaithful and didn’t even care to hide it. Even when he was home it was never how it should be. He weaponized the love she had for him. She was an accessory for him to come home to. He told her what she should and should not wear, what her hair should look like, how she should do her makeup, and what she should act like. She was basically his puppet. He was aggressive but even though he was the one to hurt her he was the one to comfort her too. Making it hard to decipher the difference in love and abuse. I’m glad she is able to tell her story in more ways than one.
Elvis was able to get away with many things just because of who he was. Elvis was 10 years older than her and he started pursuing her when she was just 14 years old. He knew he could make her into anyone he wanted to and slowly began to make her change. She loved him and was able to see through the abuse even as he was away for months at a time with another woman. Elvis had a lot of anger inside of him that no one on the outside saw but as soon as he stepped through their front door it’s what Priscilla and even their daughter Lisa had to see. I definitely think this is worth the watch and was one of the best movies I have watched in 2023. It is not yet free on streaming services but you can rent or buy it on Vudu or Amazon Prime.
This movie is so powerful yet shines a sad light on what is the norm for some young women. She is a voice for many people who don’t have one. Elvis’s presence made it much easier for her to speak up and have people that will listen. Unfortunately that is not always the case. Many young girls find themselves stuck in these situations and they aren’t always able to make it out like Priscilla did.
