Review: "EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert"

On June 24th, 2022, Baz Luhrmann directed Elvis, a film that explored Elvis Presley’s (played by Austin Butler) career along with his relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks). The film grossed $288.7 million dollars and earned eight Oscar nominations as well as many positive reviews from critics. While working on the film Lurhman discovered miles of unseen footage from Elvis Presley’s career and personal life from Elvis: That’s The Way It Is (1970) and Elvis on Tour (1972), two concert films released just before Presley’s untimely death in 1977. Lurhman had initially hoped to edit the footage he found in his original movie, but instead decided to turn the footage into a special compilation of its own, EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert, released on February 27th, 2026. Here’s what I thought:

This documentary film deepens exploration of Elvis Presley’s celebrity along with his humanity, but unlike the 2022 film, you only hear the voice of the real Elvis Presley throughout it’s duration. There’s an interview clip in the film when Elvis is being interviewed about the pressures of living up to his image and he explains “The image is one thing, the man is another.” Throughout his career, Elvis Presley dealt with fame with various difficulties, same as any other celebrity would. However, he never stopped making his fans feel valued.

Furthermore, there are clips with Elvis talking about how he would have a hard time not taking it personally when critics criticized his dance moves. He, himself, never actually thought that he did anything wrong whenever he danced onstage and didn’t understand why some people mocked his moves. You also get to hear Presley talk about how he’s a lifelong lover of music and he plays it just because it’s what he loves to do. You also get to learn the things that inspired Elvis Presley’s songs, i.e. his mother’s passing inspired him to write “That’s Someone You Never Forget.” You can even feel the love that he brings to all of his songs including: “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” “Walk A Mile In My Shoes,” etc.

This “man behind the legend” story is home-run hit for Baz Luhrmann and Elvis Presley and it can deepen your appreciation for both of their talents. Although Elvis Presley himself has been deceased for almost 50 years, his music never has and never will stop being entertaining. And Baz Lurhmann is a brilliant director whether he’s making an aesthetic/artistic piece like Moulin Rouge! (2001) or a documentary like “EPIC.”