Baz Luhrmann’s EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert is a seamlessly edited archival documentary and a riveting theatrical experience worthy of the big screen. The film opens with audio of naysayers criticizing Elvis as he prepares for a light-infused Las Vegas show, immediately setting a tone of a man who did it his way. From there, vibrant archival footage is edited fluidly, creating concert sequences that feel like they radiate from the big screen, especially in IMAX, where the massive formatting intensifies the electricity of the grandiloquent concert performances.
The human elements were an unexpected touch that grounded the movie in the reality of the world’s people at the time. The documentary captures a poignant moment when Elvis Presley reflects on his two-year stint in the military, grounding his spectacle persona in introspection. In another striking moment, when Elvis declines to comment about draft dodgers and says he wants to entertain, it serves as a reminder of a different era and generation, one that often valued privacy over advocacy. These reflective beats add a nice touch of emotional depth, providing a brief contrast to the high-energy stage presence with glimmers of his vulnerability.
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Throughout the rest of EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert, it earns its acronym of a tile. The mesmerizing, excellent creative montages of similar moves, such as twisting arms and swaying hips, seamlessly connect across different performances, keeping the movie lively. The repetition has its own rhythm, almost hypnotic in its own way, emphasizing both his consistent style and his evolution as a performer.
The editing style feels like nostalgia refined and repackaged for the quick-cut TikTok era, where smaller, bite-sized clips show different aspects of his life, performances, recording studio sessions, and even his film career, yet ultimately form a cohesive narrative. At one point, after playfully falling onstage, Elvis quips, “I’m free to do the oldies and the goodies…in 30 minutes,“ a funny joke that showcases his charm and knowing what his fans really want.
The documentary is amazing, featuring lost footage recently restored and assembled by Luhrmann’s collaborative editor, Jonathan Redmond. At times, EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert plays like a creative mood board Luhrmann constructed to set the tone of his Elvis narrative bio-pic, carefully curated, visually dynamic, and immersive for its audience, one we are lucky to see the creative process coming together, even if this documentary wasn’t a vision board for his previous work.
Overall, EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert is mostly spectacle with a little reflection: a concert film that pulses with energy while offering glimpses of the man behind the legend.
EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert is now playing in limited release on IMAX and expanding wide on February 27th.
