Run time: 160 mins

Baz Lurhmann’s hotly-anticipated biopic of the King of Rock and Roll is a carnivalesque emotional jukebox that you can’t help falling in love with.

Having been in development since 2014, it must have been quite the relief for Lurhmann when Elvis received one of the longest standing ovations of all time at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. A production of gargantuan scale and scope, its (distinctly Vegas) glitz and glamour have a rhythm typical of its director.

Despite focus on its visual components, this is by no means at the sacrifice of the emotional depth of its story, which confidently explores not only Elvis’ commercial, quasi-paternal relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), but also his early childhood and later marriage to Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).  

The casting is pitch-perfect, with Austin Butler encapsulating Elvis’ essence without a hint of caricature, the costumes are enviably kaleidoscopic, and the supporting soundtrack is right on-the-beat. Listen out for contributions from CeeLo Green, Eminem, and Kacey Musgraves, to name but a few.

It strikes a real chord with anyone and everyone – much like the music of the King himself.