Priscilla and Elvis Presley were a golden couple of their time, yet a deep look into their story had yet to be shared until somewhat recently. Both Elvis and Priscilla had their moment to shine as individuals in feature films that were able to reflect what their lives were like during the time that they were in a relationship.

 In “Priscilla” (2023) it is evident that Elvis is her whole world and in “Elvis” (2022) it is shown that Priscilla is barely a side character in his.

The “Elvis” film shares the glamorous life of Elvis Presley, played by Austin Butler, from childhood to his pinnacle of fame featuring fast-paced scenes, flashing lights and upbeat music. The movie also details his complex relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker played by Tom Hanks, but less of his complex relationship with his ex-wife Priscilla Presley.

The “Elvis” movie seemed to be missing a major part of his life by glossing over his wife and daughter and brushing past many wrongdoings in his life. For example, Priscilla being 14 at the time of meeting and dating Elvis, a 24-year-old, was completely disregarded. What seemed to many as a fun film for Elvis’ music lovers seemed to others like a chance to excuse and glorify his bad behavior.

While it was not expected for the film to be entirely about his relationship with his family, it did not seem to accurately portray Elvis’s character, his identity as a so-called family man and a variety of other misrepresentations of his life. However, this film did work to secure Elvis an already very secure position as one of the greatest musicians in the world. There was no doubt that Elvis was talented, and Butler did an amazing job demonstrating his skills and passion for song.

The “Priscilla” movie provided a missing piece to the “Elvis” movie that the audience was craving. It did not gloss over Elvis’s character and provided an in-depth and unseen analysis of him as a person that would be unknownst to the common fan. The credit for this perspective majorly goes to Priscilla Presley herself as the movie was based on her book “Elvis and Me” and she worked with the talented director, Sofia Coppola, on this movie

It was unrealized by many just how young and immature Priscilla was at the time of meeting Elvis and how much pressure it put on such a young child to be with one of the most famous people at the time. 

This movie dives deep into Elvis’s romantic history as he cheats on Priscilla, leaves her alone in a country without her family for days or weeks at a time and perhaps more troubling his drug and anger issues. Yet, as Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla showed so beautifully, Priscilla is head over heels loved Elvis through it all and was an unwavering partner in his life.

Overall, these movies were entirely unalike as they told two very different sides of the same marriage and would be essentially comparing apples to oranges. However, for “Elvis” movie fans it is imperative to watch “Priscilla” alongside it and to make real evaluations on what kind of person Elvis actually was.