Val
An intimate self-portrait of Val Kilmer, where decades of homemade footage turn Hollywood mythology into a vulnerable meditation on art, family, illness, and identity.
Overview
A raw and intimate look at the life of a Hollywood icon, revealing the heart of an artist.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- intimate
- wistful
- candid
- reflective viewing
- film night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the documentary absorbing, intimate, and unusually reflective because its subject personally chronicled much of the life and career on screen.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Kilmer's thousands of hours of home movies and behind-the-scenes recordings form the documentary's central source and perspective.
The film juxtaposes Kilmer's iconic performances with intimate footage of family life, creative practice, illness, and self-reflection.
Home movies, amateur footage, family material, and production recordings create an unusually immediate visual texture.
Jack Kilmer narrates while appearing alongside Mercedes Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, and Val Kilmer's personal archive.
Films like Val, and why
Listen to Me Marlon
intimate biographical documentary built from personal and archival footage, with a reflective portrait of an artist's life
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond
self-documenting celebrity portrait combining private archive material with candid reflection on fame and identity
Being James Bond
emotionally direct actor biography using career history and personal testimony to examine artistic persona and vulnerability
Movie Details
- Directors
- Leo Scott, Ting Poo
- Release Date
- 2021-07-23
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (245)
Cast
- Val Kilmer
- Jack Kilmer
- Mercedes Kilmer
- Joanne Whalley
- Kevin Bacon
- Fairuza Balk
- Marlon Brando
- Nicolas Cage
- Jim Carrey
- Cher
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Val about?
- An intimate self-portrait of Val Kilmer, where decades of homemade footage turn Hollywood mythology into a vulnerable meditation on art, family, illness, and identity.
- What is Val like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Val as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Val violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Val.
- What did critics think of Val?
- Critics broadly found the documentary absorbing, intimate, and unusually reflective because its subject personally chronicled much of the life and career on screen.
- Which films are like Val?
- Films with a similar feel include Listen to Me Marlon, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, and Being James Bond.
- How long is Val?
- Val runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch Val?
- In United States, Val streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
