EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert (12A)

Baz Luhrmann reshapes rare concert footage and unheard interviews into an immersive portrait of Elvis Presley at full power.

For decades, 59 hours of professionally shot material from Presley’s early Seventies shows sat locked away in a Kansas salt mine, unseen and largely mythical even among devoted fans. When Luhrmann persuaded Warner Bros. to unearth the archive while preparing his 2022 biopic, what emerged was far more than performance reels. Multi-camera concert footage captures Elvis at his peak as a live artist, while backstage moments and candid reflections reveal a man both commanding and curiously exposed.

Rather than assembling a conventional cradle-to-grave documentary, Luhrmann opts for something more fluid and impressionistic. Presley effectively narrates the film himself through archival interviews and recordings, his voice guiding viewers through fame, doubt and creative hunger. The effect is intimate without being reverential, allowing flashes of vulnerability to sit alongside the swagger.

There is fresh force in being reminded that this global icon began life in deep poverty before becoming the most famous young performer on the planet. By letting the man speak and sing for himself, the film offers a vivid, unvarnished encounter with the King.