This is Elvis in motion, in sweat, in spirit. Grooves snap, hips swing, and the electricity of a performer utterly consumed by music crackles off the screen. The result is a cinematic experience so alive, so immediate, that you don’t just watch it, you feel it.

EPiC features long-lost footage from Presely’s legendary Las Vegas residency in the 1970s, woven together with rare 16mm footage from Elvis on Tour, and precious 8mm from the Graceland archive, plus recordings of Elvis telling “his side of the story” rediscovered during Luhrmann’s research for his Best Picture Oscar-nominated 2022 film Elvis.

Baz Luhrmann’s Golden Discovery

Visionary filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, who previously delivered the audacious, glittering biopic Elvis, once again proves himself Elvis’s greatest modern cinematic champion. While crafting that film, Luhrmann stumbled upon an extraordinary buried treasure deep within the salt-mine vaults of Warner Bros; unearthing 35mm and 8mm footage from Elvis: That’s the Way It Is in 1970 and Elvis on Tour in 1972, and now he takes this footage and delivers something truly marvelous and opulent for the big screen.

What might have remained an archival curiosity instead ignited Luhrmann’s signature creative spark. The result is EPiC; a raw, immersive, full-throttle celebration of Elvis at his most potent, assembled with Luhrmann’s unmistakable flair for scale, rhythm, and emotional immediacy.

Elvis in His Element

Blazing forth with volume, colour, and kinetic energy, EPiC places Elvis squarely where he belongs: centre stage, commanding every inch of the frame. The film is further elevated by newly uncovered audio recordings of Presley reflecting on his life, his music, and his journey as a performer. Hearing Elvis narrate his own legend — candid, thoughtful, searching, adds an intimate, almost confessional layer to the spectacle.

This is not a distant icon polished into marble. This is Elvis alive in the moment, feeding off the roar of the crowd, chasing the next note, surrendering himself entirely to performance. The film gives audiences a rare 360-degree portrait of a man in total communion with his art, and it is nothing short of hypnotic.

The Magic Between the Lights

Perhaps the most revelatory sequences are those that step away from the glare of Las Vegas and into the rehearsal studio. Here, stripped of spectacle, Elvis’s genius truly reveals itself. Watching him riff with his band, testing tempos, bending melodies, experimenting freely, is pure musical alchemy.

These moments capture Presley not as a manufactured superstar, but as a working musician, driven by curiosity and instinct. He is loose, playful, deeply engaged, and utterly in control. The joy on his face as he loses himself in sound is contagious, and these scenes provide the film’s emotional core, a glimpse of the man behind the rhinestones.

Las Vegas, Sex Appeal, and the 1970s Groove

As a full-bodied experience, EPiC revels in the glittering excess of early-1970s Las Vegas, all velvet glamour, neon heat, and undeniable sex appeal. This is a revitalised Elvis, embracing the spotlight once more, dressed to stun and ready to leave everything on the stage.

The film doubles as a love letter to a bygone Vegas, vibrant, dangerous, stylish, and Elvis stands at its centre like a living symbol of its excess and allure. Every frame hums with confidence, swagger, and raw magnetism.

The Man Behind the Legend

Beyond the thunderous performances, EPiC offers something rarer: emotional clarity. Moving between concerts, private moments, and earlier footage with friends and fans, the film reveals Elvis as warm, generous, and deeply connected to those around him. His humility and openness cut through the larger-than-life persona.

Musically, hearing Elvis speak about his influences, particularly his devotion to gospel and rhythm & blues, lends the film an almost spiritual quality. Music, for Presley, was not just performance but faith, expression, and salvation. In these moments, you don’t just see the entertainer; you glimpse his soul.

Final Verdict: A Love Letter That Hits Like Lightning

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is a gift — from Luhrmann to Elvis, and from Elvis to the world. It is a roaring, tender, electrifying tribute to one of America’s most defining cultural figures. Every note lands, every movement matters, and every second pulses with love. If you want to feel alive in your seat, to be lifted by rhythm and memory, and to witness the King unchained at the height of his powers, EPiC delivers in thunderous style. Long live the King!

Image: Universal Pictures

The post ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert’ – The King Unchained: Baz Luhrmann Unearths a Lost Elvis in a Blazing Big-Screen Resurrection – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

The film chronicles the life and career of singer and actor Elvis Presley (Austin Butler), from his early days as a child to becoming a rock and roll and movie star, as well as his complex relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks).

When it comes to filmmakers they don’t come more flamboyant or visionary than Baz Luhrmann. His works, including Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, Australia and The Great Gatsby, speak for themselves in terms of narrative commitment and sheer visual spectacle, and now this cinema visionary turns his attention to capturing the energy and spirit of Elvis Presley in Elvis. And what a show it is. Under Luhrmann’s direction, every part of this film comes together. Narrative, casting, location, production design, costume design, set dressing, hair and make-up, cinematography, sound editing and one hell of a score. It’s a complete and utter event. Luhrmann gives everything of himself to capturing the life that belonged to Presley, and this film will draw out all of your emotions as you watch it.

Chronicling the entire lifespan of Elvis Presley from his early years as a teenager in Memphis to his final decline in Las Vegas, Elvis delivers its narrative from a very interesting point of difference from other biographical pictures. This is Elvis’s life told from the perspective of his long-time promoter Colonel Tom Parker. The villain of the story. And this narrative device makes for a very interesting frame to explore Presley’s life. This viewpoint provides a real edge to the narrative of Elvis and is a sign of Luhrmann’s absolute control of cinematic drama. As a cinematic experience, Elvis is rich in visual splendour, and is what I would describe as an ‘Americana Opera’. It’s lavish and colourful and gripped with a strong presentation of glamour and sex appeal. Watching Elvis is an absolute rush, and you’ll be gripped minute by minute by this story of the boy from Memphis who by strumming his guitar learned to fly.

While Baz Luhrmann might have had the vision for this film, Elvis finds its voice, presence and soul in Austin Butler, a young performer of fantastic talent. And Butler gives one of the all-time great performances in this picture. When you look upon Austin Butler as Elvis Presley, you’re not seeing an actor, you’re seeing Elvis. Devoting over three years of his life to the role of Presley, Butler brings a soulful and present performance to The King. Butler does the astonishing feat of bringing out the man behind the icon. Breathtakingly handsome and full of strut, Butler is the x-factor defined as Presley in this film. As a performer, Butler exists moment by moment in the character of Presley and presents a full portrait of Presley as performer, husband and father. While Luhrmann’s film is wrapped in the icon of Elvis, it’s the soul of this man that shines through, and it’s Butler’s commitment to Elvis that ensures this.

Playing off of Butler’s Elvis is two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks in the role of the film’s narrator, the infamous Colonel Tom Parker. And Hanks makes for a marvellous theatrical villain in this piece. As a quick-thinking carny who is always searching for a new act to make a sucker out of the rubes, Hanks’s Parker seeks out the young Presley like a predator and soon has him gripped in a vice of his own making. Hanks’ Parker is a user of the young Presley and through Luhrmann’s presentation, he’s a complete villain. But Parker’s a complex man, and while he finds a good thing with Presley, he also cares for and loves this young man and there’s a deeply paternal side to his actions. We see Hanks toil with these extremes of thoughts and emotions concerning Presley, and it gives the picture much of its drama.

Luhrmann’s Elvis is a complete portrait of the singers’ life and the turbulent eras that he came to define and then re-define in the process. From the mid-1950s to the late 1970s we see Elvis’ stratospheric rise and shocking decline in full four-colour detail. Along for the ride are an eclectic group of characters including his notorious entourage, The Memphis Mafia, and his one true love Pricilla, who is portrayed on screen in an impressive performance by Olivia DeJonge. As Elvis’ confidant, conscience and lover, DeJonge is a revelation as Priscilla and we witness the complex, and at times turbulent life, that they shared. DeJonge and Butler have terrific chemistry and DeJonge showcases the deep love and care that Pricilla felt for Elvis and the sorrow that she experienced in watching the decline that followed him in the early 70s. They say that a man is only as strong as the woman he loves, and Priscilla was Elvis’ everything, and DeJonge’s performance is a tribute to this incredible woman.

From start to finish, Elvis is an utter piece of art come to life. Made with peak creativity, and Luhrmann’s trademark flamboyant style, this is a picture that your eyes will be transfixed on, and you won’t want to look away. The imagery has immense flair and energy and this Americana Opera is bright, opulent and bursting with life. From the blues-influenced groove of Beale Street and Memphis to Presley’s conquest of Hollywood, his bold and groundbreaking comeback special in 1968 to the gilded, sparkling cage of Las Vegas that he’s finally locked away in, Luhrmann captures it all as only he can. Elvis is a pure spectacle and there’s a showman quality to Luhrmann’s presentation of it that I believe Presley would deeply have admired. As an artist, he was a man who left everything on stage and Luhrmann does the same thing in this picture. The audience comes first in Elvis and the spectacle before our eyes is immense.

This bold and striking style applies to every part of the film and playing into this fairy tale is the film’s beautiful costuming and the masterful eye of Luhrmann’s frequent collaborator and wife Catherine Martin. And her work on Elvis is perfect. In a special collaboration with Prada and Miu Miu, Martin recreates the style of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s with complete glamour and spectacle. And after watching Elvis you’ll be reaching out for your blue suede shoes. As an exercise in filmmaking, Elvis is a product of picturesque artistry and clear attention to detail. Every member of the cast and crew gave 110% dedication to this production, and this level of care and love for The King and his story shines through in every frame. It’s just spectacular.

When talking Elvis, you can’t skip past the music, and Elvis will have you grooving out in your seat. Taking The King’s list of accomplished hits and remixing it with modern artists including the likes of Doja Cat, Eminem and CeeLo Green, Swae Lee and Diplo, Kacey Musgraves, Jack White, Nardo Wick and Måneskin, keeps the experience fresh. My favourite scenes revolved around Elvis’ life in Beale Street, where Elvis’ life started and the music is rocking in these moments. Along with the artists who assisted the film, praise must also be heaped on Austin Butler himself and his silky smooth voice is transcendent as he samples the King’s hits and melds his voice with Presley. Nailing all of the King’s songs in perfect rendition, Butler’s vocalisations are another way for him to connect with the spirit of Presley and in these moments when he is singing on stage he reaches that transcendent place of expressing who Elvis truly was.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been this animated in a cinema and I can clarify that I was feeling my groove with Elvis. This is an extraordinary film of immense passion, creativity and pure showmanship. It’s an event-level movie that will touch your soul with its love and devotion to its subject. The experience that I felt watching Elvis is the reason why we choose to go to the movies and this picture is a testament and tribute to the man who would be The King of Rock N Roll.

Image: Warner Brothers Pictures

The post ‘Elvis’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.