The film follows the life and career of actor Val Kilmer, including footage of Kilmer shot by himself throughout his career, footage of his childhood, and home movies.[3] The film showcases his battle with throat cancer and gives a behind the scenes view of his personal life, including the childhood death of his brother Wesley, his eight-year marriage to actress Joanne Whalley, and their children Mercedes and Jack.
Leo Scott initially began working as an editor with Harmony Korine on his short film The Lotus Community Workshop, where he came across Val Kilmer's archive, digging through 800 hours of footage, with Ting Poo boarding the project later on.[4][5] The footage, which Kilmer had shot for years, featured him growing up, attending school, auditioning, his career, and family.[6] Previously, the footage had sat in boxes for years, and once Kilmer was diagnosed with cancer and began losing his voice, it made him want to tell his story.[7] The film is narrated by Kilmer's own words, through his son Jack Kilmer.[8]
In May 2021, it was announced that Amazon Studios had acquired the US and Latin American rights for Val.[1]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 94% based on 124 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "An absorbingly reflective documentary that benefits from its subject's self-chronicling, Val offers an intimate look at a unique life and career."[11]OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[12]
