The life story of Elvis Presley as seen through the complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
Acting
Austin Butler IS Elvis—every hip swivel, every lip curl, pure possession.
Direction
Luhrmann's ADHD editing and anachronistic soundtrack shouldn't work. It absolutely does.
Production
Sets so lush you can practically smell the hairspray and fried peanut butter.
Director
Baz Luhrmann
Austin Butler
Elvis Presley
Tom Hanks
Colonel Tom Parker
Olivia DeJonge
Priscilla
Helen Thomson
Gladys Presley
Richard Roxburgh
Vernon Presley
Kelvin Harrison Jr.
B.B. King
David Wenham
Hank Snow
Kodi Smit-McPhee
Jimmie Rodgers Snow
Luke Bracey
Jerry Schilling
Dacre Montgomery
Steve Binder
Leon Ford
Tom Diskin
Gary Clark Jr.
Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup
Yola
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Natasha Bassett
Dixie Locke
Xavier Samuel
Scotty Moore
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Austin Butler did his own singing for the young Elvis scenes; the older Elvis blends Butler's voice with archival recordings. He also continued speaking in Elvis's voice for months after filming ended.
The film's controversial framing through Colonel Parker's unreliable narration deliberately mirrors how Elvis's story was always controlled by others—Baz makes us complicit in the myth-making.
AU
US
