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In 2022, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis lit up the big screen and earned eight nominations at the Academy Awards. In 2023, we expected Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla to ignite the awards flames. Instead, the Oscars overlooked the film completely — much to our surprise, given that we thought it was one of the best films of the year (above Barbie and Saltburn). Released in theaters nationwide by A24 on Nov. 3, 2023, Priscilla is finally coming to streaming this month. So, you can see for yourself why we’re yelling about this Oscar snub.
The poignant portrait of Priscilla Presley, Elvis’s young lover and wife, pulls back the curtain on the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s supposed fairy tale romance. Here’s everything you need to know to watch Priscilla from the comfort of your couch.
Is Priscilla worth watching?
Priscilla earned a certified-fresh 84% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Mashable’s own film critic Kristy Puchko giving the film a sparkling review. It even earned itself a place in the top ten on our best films of the year list, beating out Best Picture nominees Barbie, American Fiction, and The Zone of Interest.
Puchko referred to the film as a “stunning and thoughtful portrait of a misunderstood icon,” noting that Jacob Elordi plays a “next-level” Elvis and Cailee Spaeny delivers a nuanced and artful performance as Priscilla. “Under Coppola’s direction, these stars do more than shine; they practically explode,” she adds.
Some folks may find the lack of a showy climax and grandiose ending unsatisfying, with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes’ complaining that it feels “slow-moving.” But that’s part of Coppola’s style. “Coppola paints Priscilla’s world with all the attention to detail that the young woman does her fingernails. Every stroke matters and pays off, creating a glossy but not glossed-over coming-of-age tale of love, loss, and moving on,” Puchko writes.
What is Priscilla about?
Adapted from Priscilla Presley’s own memoir from 1985, Elvis and Me, the movie is a portrait of her life behind the glittery Graceland gates. Spoiler alert: her fairy tale life isn’t all that it seemed. Coppola tells the love story of American royalty entirely through Priscilla’s perspective, and what results is a “radiant, empathetic, and yet not naive look at the first love that caught the whole world’s attention — but should not have sparked envy,” as Mashable’s Kristy Puchko put it.
Want to read the source material? You can pick up the paperback or Kindle version for just $8.99 at Amazon. The #1 New York Times bestselling memoir has over 10,000 4- or 5-star community reviews on Goodreads. Though the book was initially released in 1985, the film adaptation has sparked renewed interest in the print copy.
Here’s the official trailer for Priscilla for those who want a quick glimpse before diving in:
Is Priscilla streaming?
A24 and Warner Bros. Discovery recently announced a multi-year output deal that will bring A24 films exclusively to Max for steaming after their theatrical debuts. Thus, Priscilla is set to make its streaming debut on Max on Feb. 24.
How to stream Priscilla: Best Max deals
You’re going to need a Max subscription — HBO’s premium streaming service — if you want to watch Priscilla at home. Subscriptions start at $9.99 per month and go up to $19.99 per month. Which plan makes the most sense for you? We’ve broken it all down in the below guide to the best Max streaming deals.
Most people will find that the annual Max subscription with ads is the best bang for their buck. While paying monthly will run you $9.99 per month, an annual plan goes for just $99.99 or $8.33 per month — that’s about 17% in savings. The good news is that with an annual subscription, you’ll not only be able to stream Priscilla when it arrives on Max, but also plenty of other A24 films throughout the year.
Mashable Deals
If you can’t stand ads interrupting your viewing experience, you’ll be better off opting for the Max Ad-Free annual subscription. It’s not cheap by any means at $149.99/year, but it will save you about 22% compared to paying $15.99/month. There’s also a Max Ultimate subscription, if you’re seeking the best possible viewing experience at home. It goes for $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year (save 17%) and gives you an ad-free viewing experience, plus 4K Ultra HD video quality, Dolby Atmos immersive audio, the ability to stream on two more devices at once, and 70 more downloads.
If you’re a Cricket customer on the $60/month unlimited plan, you get Max with ads for no cost — no questions asked. Just select Cricket as your provider when you login to Max, enter your credentials, and boom: you’re in. Stream Priscilla when it’s released and whatever else you want without any monthly or annual fees. Cricket customers on other plans can also upgrade or change over to the $60/month unlimited plan to get Max for free.
Sadly, Max no longer offers a free trial. Instead, the only way to test out the streaming service is through DirecTV Stream. You can get three free months of Max (as well as other premium channels like Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+, and Cinemax) through a DirecTV Stream Entertainment package, which costs $79.99 per month. Because DirecTV Stream is a cable replacement service, it’s not exactly the most affordable option to watch Priscilla and move on. However, it is a great value if you’re looking for a long-term way to watch live channels as well.
Other ways to watch Priscilla at home
Thanks to video-on-demand services, you can also rent or purchase the digital version of Priscilla and watch the “unseen side of a great American myth” at home. If you don’t want to sign up for another streaming service, you don’t have to. Renting is actually the cheapest way to watch the film. Just remember that rentals give you 30 days to start watching the film and only 48 hours to finish once you start.
You can rent or purchase Priscilla on demand at the following digital retailers:
