--- title: "Priscilla: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/priscilla/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/priscilla" critics_score: 75 critics_reviews: 26 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Priscilla (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 75 from 26 reviews: 21 positive, 4 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like Priscilla. The praise clusters around Cailee Spaeny, whose quiet performance is singled out again and again for carrying Priscilla from schoolgirl to wife without a false note, and around Sofia Coppola’s decision to keep Elvis at the edge of the frame and tell the story from inside the gilded cage. The costumes, the production design and the soundtrack choices come in for regular admiration. The reservations are milder and mostly shared: several reviews find the later stretches slacken, the ending arrives abruptly, and the tone is more muted than Coppola’s earlier work. The spread is narrow; twenty-one of the twenty-six reviews are favourable. The dissenters do not dispute the craft. The Evening Standard finds the repetition of Priscilla’s boredom wearing, Collider thinks the film plays it safe and settles for a compilation of a bad marriage, and The Independent warns that its dourness will sit badly with Elvis fans. ## The i Paper — Christina Newland Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 3 January 2024. The critic praises the film as a lyrical, cautionary exploration of toxic love and girlhood desire from Priscilla's perspective, highlighting Spaeny's vulnerable performance and the seductive yet isolating world Coppola creates. It elevates beyond its glamorous trappings to feel transcendent and great. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/priscilla-review-best-film-of-2024-2833280) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2023. Festival review. Coppola delivers a subdued but stirring portrait of Priscilla Presley’s years with Elvis, centering the young woman’s perspective with emotional transparency via Spaeny’s performance. The film is an impeccable union of director and subject, with nuanced restraint and sumptuous textures. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/priscilla-review-cailee-spaeny-jacob-elordi-sofia-coppola-priscilla-presley-1235581607/) ## The AV Club — Lauren Coates Rating B+. 2 November 2023. Coppola paints an elegant, introspective portrait of the troubled marriage that shatters rose-tinted myths around Elvis while highlighting the power imbalance. Spaeny gives a breakout performance as the quiet, inner-strength heart of the story, supported by strong production design and costumes. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/priscilla-movie-review-sofia-coppola-1850982067) ## Empire — Beth Webb Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2023. The critic describes it as textbook Sofia Coppola, a meticulously crafted melodrama focusing on Priscilla's journey through a toxic marriage, with soaring portrayal of her growth and excellent work from Spaeny and Elordi. The woozy aesthetic and focus on loneliness make it a sublime continuation of the director's style. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/priscilla/) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 3/4/5. 26 December 2023. The review calls the film subtle and sensational, praising Cailee Spaeny's remarkable performance as a star is born in this biographical drama. It singles out the delicate portrayal of the all-consuming fire of first love and the realization that the fairytale does not always end happily. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/priscilla) ## Radio Times — James Mottram Rating 4/5. The review calls it a delicate, sensitive biopic seen through the eyes of the woman who knew Elvis best, based on her memoir. It singles out the attention to detail in costumes and design as pitch perfect while noting the final act lacks some emotional impact. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-a95vm2/priscilla/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 2023. Coppola delivers a stylish, sensitive portrait of Priscilla's gilded-cage existence that balances empathy for the central relationship with a modern awareness of its power imbalances. The film excels in its nuanced depiction of isolation and gradual emancipation, particularly through costume and anachronistic music choices. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/31/priscilla-review-sofia-coppola-biopic-cailee-spaeny-jacob-elordi) ## The Telegraph — Robbie Collin Rating 4/5. 1 January 2024. Coppola's film succeeds by keeping Elvis firmly in the background and focusing on Priscilla's perspective, resulting in a beautiful and affecting portrait of a young woman in a gilded cage. The absence of Elvis songs and the emphasis on visual and emotional detail make it a distinctive and moving work. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/priscilla-review-sofia-coppola-cailee-spaeny-jacob-elordi/) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 4/5. 4 September 2023. The critic presents the film as a stylish dark-edged fairy tale and tart rejoinder to other depictions of Elvis, centering Priscilla's side of the story as a pink-hued prison movie. It singles out the empathetic approach that hands agency back to the young heroine without stern moral judgment. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/priscilla-2023) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2023. Festival review. The critic describes Coppola's film as a heartsore biopic offering an ethereal, interior portrait of Priscilla Presley's troubled years with Elvis through dreamlike montages. It highlights the director's talent for creating substance from surface details and the inside-outside disconnect in the relationship. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/priscilla-sofia-coppolas-ethereal-interior-portrait-priscilla-presleys-troubled-years-with-elvis) ## The New Yorker — Molly Fischer Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 November 2023. Coppola explores the vexed archetype of the schoolgirl through Priscilla's journey into and out of Graceland. The film examines the ordinary experience of being desired for one's youth taken to a fantastical extreme. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/sympathy-for-the-schoolgirl) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2023. The film immerses viewers in Priscilla’s girlish fantasy and wish-fulfillment while revealing the disturbing power differential and isolation in her relationship with Elvis. It is an uncomfortable yet thoroughly engaging watch, most vibrant in its early romance sequences and Spaeny’s performance. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/priscilla-sofia-coppola-movie-review.html) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2023. Festival review. The review notes that audiences will see Priscilla as groomed and Elvis as controlling and abusive, painting a darker picture than other films through a soft, subtle approach. It singles out the muted sensitivity and enveloping design as strengths, with the softly-softly method as the film's ultimate power. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/priscilla-venice-review/5185541.article) ## Total Film — Jane Crowther Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2023. The critic calls it a beguiling, evocative companion piece to other Elvis films, praising Coppola's creation of atmosphere, production design, and Spaeny's expressive performance amid themes of love and toxic fame. It notes some issues like an abrupt ending and more muted tone than the director's other work. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/priscilla-review/) ## Slant Magazine — David Robb Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 4 October 2023. Festival review. Coppola returns to familiar territory with a photogenic tale of fame and female desire, effective in its early courtship scenes but hindered by its expanded scope that obscures emotional subtleties. The result feels tasteful yet empty, stranded between specificity and spectacle. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/priscilla-review-sofia-coppola-cailee-spaenee-jacob-elordi/) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 26 December 2023. The critic sees the film as a sparse, downbeat drama depicting Elvis as an insecure narcissist who grooms and controls the teenage Priscilla, resulting in her loss of freedom in a gilded cage. Strong performances from Spaeny and Elordi are noted, but the overall tone is dour and uncomfortable for Elvis fans compared to more exuberant biopics. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/priscilla-review-elvis-sofia-coppola-b2469460.html) ## Evening Standard — Jo-Ann Titmarsh Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 9 October 2023. Festival review. The critic finds little new in Coppola's sympathetic but repetitive take on the well-known story, with the film emphasizing Priscilla's boredom and lack of agency in a controlling environment. While it has stylish moments and good performances, the screenplay and repetitive structure make it hard not to feel bored. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/priscilla-movie-review-sofia-coppola-elvis-presley-b1104763.html) ## Financial Times — Danny Leigh Rating ★★★★☆. 3 January 2024. The film offers a woozy, on-brand Coppola portrait of Priscilla as a bright but naive teenager drawn into Elvis's orbit, with a subtle modern lens on the past. It finds something beyond mere tragedy in her story, emphasizing suggestion over editorialising. [Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/c0e8698d-c72a-4126-b5c9-463d7ae024db) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang 27 October 2023. Coppola charts the young woman's struggle with exquisite patience and pointillist detail in a story of too-young love and power imbalances. The film shimmers with beauty and heartbreak and is her strongest in more than a decade. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-10-27/priscilla-review-presley-elvis-sofia-coppola) ## The New York Times — Ben Kenigsberg Rating Critic’s Pick. 26 October 2023. Coppola re-examines the Elvis Presley story from Priscilla's viewpoint as a young woman drawn into a lonely, isolating world. The film highlights her sensitive performance and the director's ability to balance darkness with humor and airiness. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/26/movies/priscilla-review.html) ## The Skinny — Stefania Sarrubba Rating 5/5. 21 December 2023. The critic calls it a stunning return that empathetically captures a young woman's universal growing pains in extraordinary circumstances. It singles out Spaeny's subtle, breathing-as-emotional-outlet performance and the film's flawless soundtracking. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/priscilla-sofia-coppola-review) ## NME — Matthew Turner Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2023. Festival review. The review hails the film as a brilliant biopic that unflinchingly depicts the dark side of the relationship from Priscilla's viewpoint. It singles out the standout performances by Spaeny and Elordi along with Coppola's evocative soundtrack choices. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/priscilla-review-elvis-presley-sofia-coppola-3493033) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 4/5. 12 October 2023. The critic praises the film as a pensive character study that prioritizes Priscilla's interior perspective over Elvis myth-making. It singles out Cailee Spaeny's revelatory performance for conveying her gradual awakening to autonomy amid the imbalanced relationship. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/priscilla-review-sofia-coppola-elvis-mythmaking/) ## Film Stories — Maria Lattila Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 29 September 2023. Festival review. The film empathetically follows Priscilla through the highs and lows of her relationship with Elvis in a classic gilded cage story. It is visually stunning and acutely aching in its exploration of first love, with a luminous performance from Cailee Spaeny. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/priscilla-review-sofia-coppolas-latest-film-is-an-aching-portrait-of-first-love/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2023. Festival review. Coppola’s lush and compassionate biopic offers a feminine, truth-telling counterpoint to myth-making by centering Priscilla’s perspective on her youthful devotion and isolation. Strong performances and period details shine, though the pacing loses coherence in the later sections. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/priscilla-review-sofia-coppola-presley/) ## Deadline — Stephanie Bunbury Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2023. Festival review. Coppola’s stylistic pizzazz overcomes the sense that the story is familiar by focusing on intimate details and shadowy interiors from Priscilla’s viewpoint. The film feels slight with no major revelations but finds meaning in small observations of the controlling relationship. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2023/09/priscilla-movie-review-sofia-coppola-cailee-spaeny-jacob-elordi-elvis-1235536070/) ## Eye for Film — Anne-Katrin Titze Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 October 2023. Festival review. Coppola paints pictures of mid-century Americana and its moral shortcomings with a light touch that leaves space to draw conclusions about grooming and fame. The film explores the courtship between Elvis and teenage Priscilla through texture, colour, mood and telling details. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/priscilla-2023-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze) ## /Film — Shae Sennett Rating 6.5/10. 25 October 2023. The film puts the audience inside young Priscilla's mind, showing a romance that becomes a gilded cage and a sobering portrait of Elvis as neither monster nor saint. It succeeds as a visceral emotional and textural experience but feels thinly woven in places. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1429635/priscilla-review/) ## Collider — Emma Kiely Rating C. 10 October 2023. The critic views the film as a disappointment that plays it safe and delivers a disjointed compilation of a toxic marriage rather than deeper insight into Priscilla's experience. The muted aesthetic and lack of Coppola's signature vibrancy are highlighted as major shortcomings despite strong lead performances. [Read the review](https://collider.com/priscilla-review/) ## Paste — Jesse Hassenger Rating 8.0. 27 October 2023. The critic finds the film a strong fit for Coppola's style, offering a clear and purposeful look at Priscilla's gilded-cage life at Graceland that avoids overstaying its welcome. Spaeny's performance is singled out for its convincing portrayal of Priscilla across different ages. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/sofia-coppola/priscilla-review) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/priscilla.md