The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

R

Now Playing

1 hr. 42 min.

Comedy

LGBTQ+

List

94%

51 Reviews

Tomatometer

88%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

When drag queen Anthony (Hugo Weaving) agrees to take his act on the road, he invites fellow cross-dresser Adam (Guy Pearce) and transsexual Bernadette (Terence Stamp) to come along. In their colorful bus, named Priscilla, the three performers travel across the Australian desert performing for enthusiastic crowds and homophobic locals. But when the other two performers learn the truth about why Anthony took the job, it threatens their act and their friendship.

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Critics Consensus

While its premise is ripe for comedy -- and it certainly delivers its fair share of laughs -- Priscilla is also a surprisingly tender and thoughtful road movie with some outstanding performances.

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Chelsea L

What a gorgeous story of three stars shooting across the dessert, taking us on the journey with them!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/04/24

Full Review

Cowni F

This movie would be perfect, if it weren't for the over-the-top and kind of offensive portrayal of Bob's wife. It really felt out of place in this otherwise lovely, amazingly acted and visually beautiful movie about tolerance and being true to yourself.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/07/23

Full Review

Leaburn O

The costumes are sensational. The plot is ok but I just don't find drag queens funny. If you find camp funny then you'll love it, if like me you find it a bit irritating, then probably not the film for you. I got this one on DVD.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/24/23

Full Review

BJ M

Funny with a lot of heart. Gives a minority that has suffered a lot of prejudice a chance to tell the story. This is a really fun movie with a good vibe.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/17/23

Full Review

Gareth v

Ground breaking for it's time, this movie is one of the best and most important flicks to ever come out of Australia. Led by some strong performances from it's three leads, this funny, moving movie is well worth checking out.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/17/23

Full Review

Johann D. M

🏳️‍🌈🇦🇺 This 1994 Australian road comedy follows two drag queens and a transgender woman, as they journey across the desert in a tour bus that they have named "Priscilla", encountering various groups and individuals along the way and performing their unique style of cabaret. With a funny and compassionate plot pretty much ahead of its time, it is a film with a positive portrayal of LGBT themes about people trapped in a job that has become tiresome and want to enjoy life to the fullest. The performances are outstanding, I certainly never imagined Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce and Terence Stamp in drag, and they definitely do an amazing job. Winner of an Academy Award for Best Costume Design and several BAFTA wins and noms, it is a sentimental film with a great amount of work in the technical department, including its cinematography and its soundtrack.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/10/23

Full Review

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Stephan Elliott

Director

Terence Stamp

Ralph

Hugo Weaving

Anthony "Tick" Belrose

Guy Pearce

Adam Whitely

Bill Hunter

Bob

Sarah Chadwick

Marion

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The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: Official Clip - Opera Atop a Bus

2:31

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: Official Clip - Ping-Pong

2:45

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: Official Clip - Now You're F***ed

3:10

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: Official Clip - Finally

4:17

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: Official Clip - The Mountain Top

2:25

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: Official Clip - The Christening of Priscilla

2:22

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: Official Clip - People Like You

3:14

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: Official Clip - I Will Survive

2:26

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Victoria Luxford

BBC.com

A very human drama, well acted, and very good fun!

Rated: 4/5

Sep 21, 2023

Full Review

Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

Stephan Elliott’s film is an LGBT milestone, a highlight of Australian cinema’s quirky renaissance and the finest display of lip-syncing this side of Milli Vanilli.

Sep 12, 2023

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

It's a tremendous film that was ahead of its time on LGBT issues and, in some ways, is ahead of ours.

Rated: 5/5

Jun 7, 2019

Full Review

Steve Warren

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

Priscilla is more gay-positive than the 90-some percent of movies that ignore gays completely or put us down. It returns glamour to the screen as only drag queens can do -- outrageously and preposterously.

May 8, 2023

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

The ending is cozy and unrealistic, but one can appreciate Elliot’s wanting to make a jolly piece of gay pop.

Rated: B

Aug 31, 2022

Full Review

Lawrence Frascella

The Advocate

While this concept has definite fun appeal, the movie lacks follow-through.

Apr 4, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

When drag queen Anthony (Hugo Weaving) agrees to take his act on the road, he invites fellow cross-dresser Adam (Guy Pearce) and transsexual Bernadette (Terence Stamp) to come along. In their colorful bus, named Priscilla, the three performers travel across the Australian desert performing for enthusiastic crowds and homophobic locals. But when the other two performers learn the truth about why Anthony took the job, it threatens their act and their friendship.

Director: Stephan Elliott
Screenwriter: Stephan Elliott
Distributor: Roadshow Home Video [au], Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp.
Production Co: Australian Film Finance Corporation, Specific Films
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 10, 1994, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 3, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.1M
Sound Mix: Dolby, Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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