EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert

While seeking out unused footage from two 1970's documentaries as research for his 2022 biopic "Elvis," director Baz Luhrmann also located long rumored missing footage of Presley's 1970's Vegas residency as well as a 45 minute audio recording of The King discussing his life. The films have been restored, Luhrmann editing and overlapping them into a cross between a documentary and a concert film told in Presley's own voice and it is "EPiC."

Laura's Review: A-

For those who know Elvis as only a historical cultural artifact, "EPiC" will be an intimate primer on just what all the fuss was about. For those who grew up with him but never saw him in the flesh, "EPiC" reveals just how connected he was with his audiences, from his sincere stage banter to his willingness to please all those fevered women with a kiss, not only from the stage but from within the crowd. That warm honeyed voice, stripped of the exaggerated drawl piled on by so many impersonators, invites us into Presley's own story while Luhrmann's punchy restoration dazzles with its vivid colors and crystal clear sound. (Luhrmann even offers a cheeky audio comparison, an interviewer asking Elvis about his satisfaction with is first recordings at Sun Records - Presley grimaces, saying they sound 'echoey,' and indeed, they do.)

Before we see anything, we'll hear Elvis over a black screen as he slips into 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic.' Still photographs paper over the screen like flash cards, reminding us that before Beatlemania, women went crazy for Elvis, just as Luhrmann has, claiming the idol as 'Baz Luhrmann's" in the title. Accompanied by unused documentary footage, Elvis tells us of his early life and love for his mother; how his moves reflected all the ways people generally react to music except that he did them all at once; how Hollywood didn't allow him to act, pigeon-holing him into a never ending series of the same role; his Army service in Germany and his determination to change things when he returned.

At about the twenty minute mark, the film really comes to life, arriving at the rehearsals for and eventual performances of Presley's Las Vegas residency. His look changes from his 50's pompadoured rockabilly style into the longer shag with exaggerated sideburns paired with mirrored, gold-framed aviator shades and wildly colored and patterned shirts, his stage wear custom made, bejeweled and caped jumpsuits. Luhrmann will cut between various rehearsals and live performances for such songs as 'That's All Right,' 'Little Sister' and various Beatle medleys while pairing '(You're The) Devil in Disguise' with Colonel Parker footage. (This isn't the only commentary Luhrmann makes with editing, pairing a heart-rending "In the Ghetto,' always my favorite Presley song, with Elvis' refusal to comment on political matters, stating 'I'm just an entertainer.') While we hear Elvis express a desire for a family more than once, Priscilla doesn't enter the picture until quite late in the film, as Elvis sings 'You Were Always On My Mind,' to a montage of family life with her and Lisa Marie before she disappears again.

It's quite something to view Elvis as he enters the Las Vegas stage, shots framing him from behind capturing audience members seated at tiered tables, women's bouffant hairstyles denoting the era. We'll see the celebrities, like Cary Grant and Sammy Davis Jr., who come to see his show, then visit backstage. Everything comes to a climax with 'Suspicious Minds,' the only performance shown in full, before Luhrmann rolls out, noting that while Elvis did hundreds of shows between 1969 and 1971, he never left North America, Colonel Parker having denied him his dream of playing globally.  Luhrmann's decision to feature Bono reading part of his bizarre Elvis poem, 'American David,' leaves us on an odd note.

If those who idolize celebrities feel like they know them, Luhrmann has probably gotten as close to that real intimacy with his presentation of Presley as possible, connecting us with the artist the way the Elvis connected with his audience. Neon releases "EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert" on IMAX screens on 2/20/26 before releasing it into regular theaters on 2/27/26. IMAX is the way to go.

Neon releases "EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert" on IMAX screens on 2/20/26 before releasing it into regular theaters on 2/27/26.