Sharp winged eyeliner, bright red lips, and big hair grace the silver screen in the opening shot of “Priscilla.” The movie highlights trends of the 60s through faded color schemes and an “of-the-times” soundtrack, which features iconic songs from the decade such as “I Will Always Love You” by Dolly Parton and “Venus” by Frankie Avalon.

Following its release on Oct. 27, “Priscilla” gained a very large fan base, with fans trying to mimic Priscilla’s iconic makeup and hair looks, new-wave fashion styles, and soft-spoken way of speaking. But through these trends, the true message of the film seems to have been lost in translation as fans tend to focus more on Priscilla’s looks rather than the dynamic of her and Elvis’s relationship that caused her pain.

“Priscilla” takes the audience through a young girl’s journey from being a misunderstood teenager to being thrown into the rockstar lifestyle of Elvis Presley. Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny) was just 14 years old when she met 24-year-old Elvis (Jacob Elordi), who was nearing the height of his fame. The movie highlights both the high points and low points of the couple’s relationship. Scenes of pool parties, piano singalongs, and outdoor adventures full of laughs are cut between anger, silence, and regret between the two.

Senior Ava Bilinski watched the movie and thought it to be a realistic take. “I thought it was a great movie,” Bilinski said. “The actors and actresses were incredible, and I really thought the content was good. [My favorite part] was when she got the guts to leave him after years of being abused.” 

The release of “Priscilla” isn’t the first time the Presleys have been highlighted as Hollywood icons. Director Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” released in theaters worldwide on June 24 of last year. However, the movie took a typical focus on the glamor of Elvis and Priscilla’s life, without highlighting what happened behind closed doors.

While the movie’s main focus was on Priscilla and her life, many fans seemed to focus more on Elordi’s portrayal of Elvis, comparing his performance to Austin Butler’s in “Elvis.” Fans of the movie online gave rave reviews about Elordi, with little to be said about Spaeny. Some fans even went as far as to romanticize Elvis and Priscilla’s life together, missing the point of the storyline completely. 

The movie shows the best and worst of Priscilla and Elvis’ relationship. The high moments of their lives are represented through gambling and living the high life with a large house and even larger sums of money. However, the low moments go as far as to show Elvis drugging Priscilla in the early days of their relationship and even enacting physical violence on her. 

Senior Phoebe Wainwright also watched the movie and had similar views about the dynamic of Presley’s relationship. “I was really excited for the movie,” Wainwright said.  “I knew it was actually gonna show how Elvis was because everybody just keeps glamorizing this man when he has a history of stealing music and dating [a teenage girl].”

While “Priscilla’s” aesthetics are undeniably beautiful, Elordi and Spaeny’s ability to capture and portray such an intricate and raw relationship is what makes it a stellar film.

“Priscilla” is currently playing in movie theaters nationwide.