Memories both happy and tragic from family life, and his marriage to (and subsequent separation from) fellow thespian Joanne Whalley, are addressed with remarkable candour.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 17, 2025

Unashamedly subjective, Val is a unique treatise on the art of acting by one of the industry’s most enigmatic figureheads.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 8, 2025

It’s a intensely personal film with a deep sense of longing, not so much for a career that once was, but for a chance to finally tell his life story in his own words.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 17, 2022

Getting poor reviews is likely hard for any actor, but Kilmer never let them define him. Nor did he ever let anything stand in his way of being his unequivocal self at every stage of his life, and today, we have the footage to see it all.

| Original Score: 8/10 | Jun 27, 2022

Tiptoes past the actor's fame, falling into autohagiography.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | May 19, 2022

A fascinating look about the actor whose life and times took a tragic turn.

| Original Score: A | Apr 13, 2022

Embodies not only the immense talent but also the rare empathy that Val Kilmer brought to his most invested characters.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Mar 12, 2022

Mr. Kilmer is slated to be in the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick, which was originally slated to be released in 2020. Cant wait to see the Iceman again. He can be my wingman anytime!

| Original Score: 5/5 | Feb 14, 2022

You grow surprisingly attached to Val Kilmer as this goes along, and prepared to indulge his pretentious side as he grapples for a state of grace.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 7, 2021

Are we to feel bad for him or happy he has kept us so entertained over the years? It's unclear and admittedly, this makes Val even more interesting as perhaps both coexist ...

| Nov 29, 2021

Val is an affectionate film, and even more, a self-affectionate film. It does just as much obscuring and bending as it does revealing.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Sep 27, 2021

In "Val," we see him low and sad and sick, but it's still only the face he wants to put forward. He remains, somewhat triumphantly, off in his own zone.

| Original Score: A- | Sep 20, 2021

It's an experience that is introspective in itself, and in turn forces you to be introspective in the healthiest way possible.

| Sep 3, 2021

You don't have to be a huge Val Kilmer fan to engage with the documentary "Val."

| Sep 1, 2021

Sourced from decades of the Hollywood star's private home videos, the new documentary Val depicts the rise and fall of infamously "difficult" actor Val Kilmer with charm and intimacy - even if it's a self-serving portrait.

| Aug 28, 2021

The new documentary on the inscrutable Val Kilmer is an exercise in distilled subjectivity. There isn't much in the way of breathing room or impartiality since Val exists within its own cocoon - the point of view of Val Kilmer.

| Aug 26, 2021

The truth is that Val is not self-indulgent at any point in the documentary. [Full review in Spanish]

| Aug 23, 2021

A beautiful documentary that portrays the humand beyond the actor.[Full Review in Spanish]

| Aug 23, 2021

[Kilmer] opens up his vault and himself to our gaze and judgment. The film is undeniably compelling as a result.

| Aug 20, 2021

VAL is such a unique piece of self reflection of an extraordinary artist and a soulful man. What I enjoyed most is the film's authenticity and personal nature, given it contains mostly archival footage he shot himself.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Aug 17, 2021