10 Movies To Watch After Priscilla

After watching Sofia Coppola’s new movie, Priscilla, it’s hard not to crave a follow-up that captures the same slow, steady, and often tragic approach to femininity that the 2023 movie does. Acclaimed movie director Sofia Coppola is known for her beautiful and meandering approach to filmmaking, as well as her dedication to telling stories through the lens of a teenage girl’s perspective. Although the stories Coppola tells are not always the most uplifting, they speak to a seriousness and melancholy that is often underrepresented in films about the experiences of young women, which is beautifully portrayed in Priscilla‘s bittersweet ending.

Priscilla follows the story of Priscilla Presley and her relationship with Elvis, based on the former’s book, Elvis and Me. After Baz Luhrmann’s true story biopic Elvis (2022) went on to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination, it was clear that Priscilla’s side of the story needed to be told. With Priscilla‘s cast performances, direction, and story receiving critical acclaim, the demand for related on-screen tales is growing. Thankfully, a compelling slate of movies with similar tones, stories, and filmmaking styles is already available. From comparable Sofia Coppola works to music biopics and narratives from a young woman’s perspective, several movies provide the perfect follow-up to Priscilla.

10 Marie Antoinette (2006)

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Also directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Kirsten Dunst, Marie Antoinette did not always have the reputation it does today. Critics and viewers criticized it for having a slow pace and being anachronistic. However, this was part of Coppola’s vision, as many of her films are styled in this way. Marie Anoinette is reminiscent of Priscilla not only because they share a director, but also because they show what it’s like to be a young girl growing up, suddenly surrounded by fame and attention. Both Dunst and Priscilla‘s Cailee Spaeny deliver performances that exhibit the changes from childhood to adulthood.

9 Palo Alto (2013)

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Emma Roberts and James Franco star in Palo Alto, directed by Gia Coppola, another member of the famous Coppola family tree. The film follows three teenagers all undergoing their own sexual experiences and frustrations as they come of age. Palo Alto incorporates the same methodical pace of Sofia Coppola’s work, and is more concerned with the small everyday difficulties of teenage life, rather than one big event. Witnessing the kids come of age, slowly but surely, in this film gives the sense that life will keep moving for better or worse.

8 Shiva Baby (2020)

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Shiva Baby in an anxiety-inducing ride, but comes out at the end making a strong case for the importance of adolescent love. Directed by Emma Seligman of Bottoms, Shiva Baby was the director’s first feature, and shows how much can be expected from her coming career. As the protagonist, Danielle (Rachel Sennott), suffers through a family friend’s Shiva, she struggles to hide her complicated romantic entanglements and feelings of inadequacy as she prepares to graduate from college. In the end, Danielle is reminded of what’s important, and starts to find her footing in adult life, similar to the journey in which Priscilla embarks in the 2023 movie.

7 Billie (2019)

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Billie is a documentary about the real life of singer Billie Holiday. Compiling interviews, performances, and stories from Holiday’s life, the 2019 documentary is focused not just on the beautiful music she made, but on how she became such a timeliness icon. Looking deeply into the heart of American jazz, Billie deserved much more attention than it initially got. While Priscilla looks at a life lived next to a musician, Billie attempts to uncover what life was truly like for a Black woman making revolutionary music.

6 Frances Ha (2012)

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Directed by Noah Baumbach and starring Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha was an early collaboration for the filmmakers who have since collaborated on many projects, including 2023’s Barbie. The audience meets Frances (Gerwig), a woman lost in her twenties in New York City, a fitting backdrop for such a narrative. It’s easy to fall in love with the confused Frances in her attempts to figure out what she wants from life. Baumbach’s style is not dissimilar to Coppola’s, as he and Gerwig paint as sympathetic a narrative for Frances as Coppola does for Priscilla.

5 The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012)

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Based on Stephen Chbosky’s novel of the same name, The Perks of Being a Wallflower depicts the often relatable experience of a period of awkward adolescence. The main character, Charlie (Logan Lerman), is a shy kid who has gone through too much for someone his age. This makes it difficult for him to make friends and fit in, but eventually he meets a group of people who help him to come out of his shell and see life as exciting again. Like Priscilla, even after experiencing challenges, Charlie emerges and moves forward.

4 Submarine (2010)

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Submarine is an underrated coming of age movie that follows a teenager, Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts), in Wales as he makes his first steps toward adulthood and discovers what that means. Caught up between dealing with his family drama and a new girlfriend, he faces the fears and anxieties common of those entering the next phase towards adulthood. With beautiful visuals, and empathetic characters, Submarine feels right at home in the genre of sweet but melancholy teen movies like Priscilla.

3 Elvis (2022)

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Although Elvis and Priscilla could not be more different in tone and story, the 2022 film offers a look at the perspectives of Elvis Presley and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, during the same era depicted in Coppola’s movie. Baz Luhrmann’s style is over the top and flashy, whereas Sofia Coppola opts for understated and contemplative, but the respective styles work well for the stories each filmmaker is telling. For a deeper focus on the musician’s life, Elvis Presley’s songs, and the music that made him a global sensation, Elvis makes a good companion for Priscilla in many ways.

2 Walk The Line (2005)

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A music biopic that centers on a real-life love story, Walk the Line chronicles the life of Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) and his wife June Carter (Reese Witherspoon). Even as fame and family troubles complicated their relationship, the pair never stopped loving each other, and the film highlights this. Carter stands by him as Cash struggles with addiction and fame, and the pair stay true and fight together. Featuring the iconic music of the singer as well as the beautiful love story, Walk the Line delivers excellent stories and performances, as well as a more optimistic conclusion than Priscilla.

1 In The Mood For Love (2000)

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Visually stunning and emotionally devastating, Wong Kar-wai’s In The Mood For Love tells the story of a doomed love between two people living next door to each other. Both married to other people, Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) and Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung), realize their partners are having an affair, and in their efforts to discover how it started, fall in love themselves. The steady pace of their love story and the undertone of deep sadness and desire that runs through the narrative make it a clear inspiration for films like Priscilla.