People are calling Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis “the movie of the year”.
Austin Butler plays the legendary music icon in the film, alongside Tom Hanks who portrays the singer’s manager Colonel Tom Parker.
The film explores the life and music of Elvis, seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager.
The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America.
Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley, played by Olivia DeJonge.
The movie hit cinemas across the country on Friday, and people have been raving about it online.
One tweeted: “Elvis is an absolute triumph and one of the best films the summer movie season has to offer. Not only does Austin Butler deliver the performance of the year, but Elvis and Baz Luhrmann’s style go together like peanut butter and banana. A biopic built for The King.”
Another fan wrote: “I have no words just amazing and the performances and cinematography and the music of Elvis take your breath away! Baz Luhrman you are a genius and my favorite movie of the year.”
A third penned: “I mean every word of this.. Austin Butler not only gives the best performance of the year, but one of the best acting performances I’ve ever seen. I’m absolutely blown away. Inspiring stuff.”
Elvis is an absolute triumph and one of the best films the summer movie season has to offer.
Not only does Austin Butler deliver the performance of the year, but Elvis and Baz Luhrmann’s style go together like peanut butter and banana.
A biopic built for The King.
Grade: 9/10 pic.twitter.com/GafjiEuKxa
— The Moonlight Warrior 🌙 (@BlackMajikMan90) June 24, 2022
#Elvis I have no words just amazing and the performances and cinematography and the music of Elvis take your breath away! Baz Luhrman you are a genius and my favorite movie of the year
— Tina Sparkle 🇺🇦🇺🇸 (@thedarkest_star) June 24, 2022
The absolute film of the year
Stunning piece of work#ElvisMovie pic.twitter.com/o7wZAEmHJI
— Altrincham HQ : Alex McCann – Social Media Trainer (@altrinchamhq) June 26, 2022
elvis is movie of the year a real cinematic experience if i do say so myself pic.twitter.com/a7iO7HCvA7
— jalynn 🏜 (@jjjjalynnrose) June 25, 2022
I mean every word of this..
Austin Butler not only gives the best performance of the year, but one of the best acting performances I’ve ever seen. I’m absolutely blown away. Inspiring stuff. #Elvis pic.twitter.com/cIVtEmt21l
— Nikko (@NikkoCaruso) June 22, 2022
Opening up about his role during a press conference at Cannes Film Festival last month, Austin admitted he shut himself off from the world in order to give everything he had to playing Elvis.
He said: “I basically put the rest of my life on pause for two years, I just absorbed everything that I possibly could.”
The actor said he “went down the rabbit hole of obsession” trying to study the Hound Dog singer.
Austin explained: “I broke down his life into periods of time where I could hear the differences in how his voice changed over the years and how his movement changed over the years and I spent two years studying, trying to find his humanity as best as I could through that.”
“The tricky thing is you see Elvis as this icon, or as the wallpaper of society and finding a way to strip all of that away and find the very human nature of him that was deeper than all of that, that’s what was fascinating for me.”
Elvis’ wife Priscilla Presley joined Austin at the Cannes Film Festival, where she praised the actor for his outstanding performance as her late husband.
Austin later added: “It just brought tears to my eyes because there’s never been a person who I’ve never met that I love more than Elvis. I’ve lived with him for three years.”
“The feeling of doing him justice, justice to his legacy, and bringing life to this extraordinary man and to make Lisa Marie, Priscilla and Riley, and the entire family proud, I could not be more overjoyed and feel over the moon about that.”
Elvis is in cinemas now.
