Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
The life story of Elvis Presley as seen through the complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
Baz Luhrmann's Elvis is a kinetic, visually overstimulating biopic elevated significantly by Austin Butler's transformative, career-defining performance as Presley. The cinematography is genuinely exceptional — Luhrmann's maximalist, frenetic style creates a singular visual language that mirrors Elvis's electrifying stage presence and inner turbulence. Acting is a clear standout, with Butler delivering one of the most committed musical biopic performances in recent memory, and Tom Hanks providing a compelling if polarizing Colonel Parker. The plot, however, follows fairly conventional biopic beats — rise, excess, decline — filtered through the framing device of Parker's unreliable narration, which adds intrigue but also some narrative muddiness. The ending, depicting Elvis's tragic decline, is emotionally resonant but not particularly surprising or inventive given the well-known story. Novelty sits in the middle: Luhrmann's style is unmistakably his own, but the underlying narrative structure doesn't deviate far from the standard music biopic template.