After making a name for himself in HBO’s “Euphoria,”Australian import Jacob Elordi is on the cusp of movie stardom thanks to contrasting performances in a pair of Oscar contenders. He features as Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola‘s biopic “Priscilla” and steals scenes in Emerald Fennell‘s psychological thriller “Saltburn.”
“Saltburn,” from Amazon, follows Barry Keoghan‘s Oliver Quick — an Oxford University student who soon becomes enticed and obsessed with his classmate Felix Catton, played by Elordi. Soon enough, Oliver goes to stay with Felix at Saltburn, the Catton family manor house. It’s in these scenes that Elordi excels but the star is a hit as soon as you first hear him speak as he nails the posh accent with aplomb. His performance develops throughout the film as Felix turns from charming and aloof to sulky and petulant but also generous and genuine. It’s a great role for Elordi, who uses his good looks to great effect here. Critics agree, too.
Maureen Lee Lenker (EW) opined: “Elordi charms as the dreamily delectable spoiled rich boy, employing a weaponized charm to convince audiences that his chief power is not his wealth but his crooked grin and shaggy hair. It’s the best work of his career without question.”
Gregory Ellwood (The Playlist) observed: “You witness his genuine acting prowess here. It’s by far the best thing he’s done in his young career.”
And Britt Hayes (The Mary Sue) noted: “Elordi seems capable of creating chemistry with almost anyone. He was born and bred in a lab full of mallrat hunks to play Felix, the tall boy with an eyebrow ring and a golden bod; a physique that is aspirational yet non-threatening… Elordi unfolds to reveal dimensions previously undiscovered. He becomes less scrutable and seems to exert more control over what he shows you, and when. His affability is charming and reads as genuine, even (and especially) when it couldn’t possibly be so uncomplicated.”
Meanwhile, Elordi plays a striking version of the King of Rock in “Priscilla,” which focuses on Cailee Spaeny‘s Priscilla Presley, detailing how she was courted by Elvis and became his wife. The movie is a much smaller outing than Baz Luhrmann‘s bombastic “Elvis,” with the majority of scenes playing out solely in the interior of the couple’s bedroom in Graceland. It makes for an intimate film and, as such, we experience a different version of Elvis. Here, Elordi’s Elvis isn’t so much a sexy rockstar but a petulant child, one who manipulates and uses Priscilla at his will, although she does later learn to call his bluff and roll with his outbursts, which then reverts him back into a child calling for her to come back. Elordi’s Elvis goes from childish to charming to fiercely angry within the space of seconds and we see an Elvis we have never seen before thanks to Coppola’s work and Elordi’s performance. Critics like Elordi in this role, too.
Jack King (GQ) noted: “Elordi is quieter, subtler, as is Priscilla, but you never think he’s not the King. This is all to say that Elordi’s version of Elvis is distinct from Butler’s turn — iconoclastic and less reverential, but it could be similarly awardsy. That’s a product, centrally, of a script that views him from Priscilla’s hard-pressed perspective, but it’s still to Elordi’s credit that he brings something fresh to an overwhelmingly mythologized character who was the central subject of a fawning biopic mere months ago.”
Rafa Sales Ross (IGN) wrote that Elordi “comes in as the underdog and sweeps Priscilla and the viewers off their feet in one big swing. Despite the film being about the woman, it could not have been told without a precise dissection of the man she orbited for such a vital part of her early life. Elordi understands this need for his presence without aggressively pursuing the spotlight and, under Coppola’s masterful guide, delivers the greatest work of his career so far.”
David Rooney (The Hollywood Reporter) observed: “Elordi finds his own way into the character, pouring seductive charm and undeniable magnetism into the sad eyes and sleepy speech patterns. But he never shies away from the more off-putting traits — the fits of pique, the petulance, the evasiveness and dishonesty.”
Elordi could find himself at the Golden Globes for either performance, although he has some tough competition in our Golden Globes odds chart for Best Supporting Actor. Our current predicted nominees are Robert Downey Jr. (“Oppenheimer”), Mark Ruffalo (“Poor Things”), Ryan Gosling (“Barbie”), Robert De Niro (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), and Willem Dafoe (also “Poor Things”).
However, Elordi could surprise a few. Young stars like him often get into this category. “Saltburn” co-star Keoghan was nominated earlier this year for “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Kodi Smit-McPhee won in 2022 for “The Power of the Dog,” Daniel Kaluuya won in 2021 for “Judas and the Black Messiah,” Timothée Chalamet landed a bid in 2019 for “Beautiful Boy,” and Dev Patel was nominated in 2017 for “Lion.” Elordi, who stole hearts in “Euphoria” and continues to do so in “Saltburn,” certainly fits alongside those names. His would be a typical Golden Globe nomination in that sense.
Plus, the Globes seem to always make room for a first-time nominee in this category. Elordi is just that, having never been nominated at the Globes before. Earlier this year, both Keoghan and winner Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) were nominated for the first time. In 2022, four out of the five listed named were first-time nominees: Troy Kotsur (“CODA”), “Belfast” duo Ciarán Hinds and Jamie Dornan, and winner Smit-McPhee. And, in 2021, Leslie Odom Jr. was a first-time nominee when he reaped a bid for “One Night in Miami…”
The Globes love rewarding new talent or performers whom they haven’t yet recognized. Elordi is a first-time nominee but all five of our predicted nominees in this category have previously won or been nominated for Golden Globes. Does that spell trouble for one of them?
If it does, it could be Elordi who benefits, particularly with two performances in one year. Having both out in the same year only benefits him. It demonstrates the depth of his talents and his versatility — and it also suggests he is a hard-working performer, too. His peers will appreciate all of this and his time spent in front of voters is doubled. That can only be a good thing.
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