When teenage Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley at a party, the man who is already a meteoric rock-and-roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments: a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, a vulnerable best friend. Through Priscilla’s eyes, Sofia Coppola tells the unseen side of a great American myth in Elvis and Priscilla’s long courtship and turbulent marriage, from a German army base to his dream-world estate at Graceland, in this deeply felt and ravishingly detailed portrait of love, fantasy, and fame.

For in-depth thoughts on Priscilla, please see my colleague Larry Fried’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Priscilla comes to Blu-Ray in an AVC encoded transfer in 1.85:1 courtesy of Lionsgate featuring an appropriately soft and gritty transfer that captures the mixture of digital and 16mm photographic roots of the feature. This presentation is sumptuous and offers a stable image quality throughout. The nostalgic lens of the film translates well on disc with numerous shots giving the movie a bit of extra character to create a vintage aesthetic. Director of Photography Philippe Le Sourd captures some gorgeous imagery that wows in high definition. Not only do the textural details render cleanly, but colors come to life in a way that brings a new depth to the image. Skin tones look natural throughout the runtime. There is no evidence of compression artifacts or other digital nuisances outside a very minor bit in the most dimly lit locations. Lionsgate has given this film a technically proficient Blu-Ray that allows this one to shine in HD.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that recreates this atmosphere without a hiccup. The track comes alive with subtle environmental sounds both in the outdoor material along with the ambiance of certain interiors. The musical cues are rendered impeccably here with an enveloping use of the surround speakers. Dialogue comes through clearly without ever being overshadowed by the environmental effects or the music. The sound design is not too ambitious, but every sonic element is positioned just right in the mix. The environmental effects create an isolated soundscape that matches the emotional state of the character. Activity in the low end is sporadic, mostly contained to when the music springs to life. This is a stellar audio presentation that brings the movie to life how it deserves. There are optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles provided.

Special Features

Brushed with Beauty – Creating Priscilla’s Story: A ten-minute featurette is provided in which the cast and creative team discuss the desire to tell this story, the work of Sofia Coppola, what the cast members bring to their characters, the work put into the costumes, the importance of hair and makeup, and much more.

The Making Of Priscilla – A Film by Liv McNeil: A 27-minute film that takes you behind the scenes of the production process with a world of great footage that gives you insight into the atmosphere on set.

Theatrical Trailer: The nearly two-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Priscilla is an exquisite effort from Sofia Coppola that gives a voice to a woman who has been overshadowed time and again in her own life. The film may not be as flashy as those that focus on Elvis Presley primarily, but you get so much more out of this exploration on an emotional level and intellectual level. Cailee Spaeny already had our admiration, but this role cements her as a force of nature who is sure to have a rich career. Jacob Elordi likewise brings the right energy to his performance that is anything but a caricature. The pacing of this one feels slightly uneven, but the film works very well for the most part. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a wonderful A/V presentation and a couple of decent special features. If you are a Sofia Coppola fan, this is her best effort in recent memory. Highly Recommended

Priscilla will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital on February 13, 2024.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.