Priscilla movie cover by Sofia Coppola

On Oct. 27, Priscilla, a movie based on the life of and produced by Priscilla Presley, hit the big screen. The film, directed by Sofia Coppola, brought in $12 million in the first two weeks after its release. Since Elvis rose to fame, Priscilla has been recognized as the wife of rock-and-roll singer Elvis Presley, arguably the most famous musician of his time. That being said, his glory and fame hid Priscilla’s tragic life story from the public. 

In 1985, Priscilla wrote Elvis and Me, a memoir detailing the physical and emotional abuse she suffered during her time with the star. Despite coming out decades ago, the novel was just recently adapted into a film following the release of the Elvis movie in June of 2022. As the movie starring Austin Butler as Elvis Presley was a major hit and briefly touched on the relationship between the famous couple, the audience wanted more and the idea of Priscilla was born. 

Priscilla is able to capture what Elvis did not. By going into detail on the couple’s history from Priscilla’s perspective, beginning when she was just a young girl, the movie displays the good and the bad. At the beginning of the film, Priscilla meets Elvis when she is 14 years old and he is 24. Despite referring to her as the “little one” and commenting on how she’s “just a baby,” Elvis moves her into his home and starts a relationship with her. With Priscilla being a freshman in high school engaging in a romantic relationship with someone 11 years her senior, the movie exposes the ugliness of their relationship that Hollywood notoriously glorified. 

Based on her memoir, the movie is an emotional display of the abuse Priscilla endured during her years as Elvis’s wife. Grooming her from a young age, the relationship begins in a honeymoon stage that slowly deteriorates as the film progresses. About halfway through the film, the once-loving dynamic of the couple has turned into one of abuse. When something goes wrong for Elvis, Priscilla becomes his victim. As the abuse continued on for years, in real life and the film, she eventually left him for her own well-being. 

By Elvis having suffered from various addiction problems, he was responsible for getting Priscilla involved in various kinds of drugs. One of which was seen in the film was Placidyl, which caused Priscilla’s teenage body to shut down for two straight days. Despite being unconscious for such a prolonged amount of time, no doctor was ever called. 

Priscilla is able to capture what was never said about their iconic life of fame, a life of abuse, drugs, and grooming. While the movie properly displays all the stages of an abusive relationship, Priscilla excels when the abuse is at its peak. Next Halloween, be sure to rethink your Priscilla and Elvis costumes.