Unbearable Lightness of Val Kilmer
Below please find as complete a filmography for Val Kilmer (1959-2025) as possible. This is very much a work in progress and includes only films, not TV shows or stage performances. This list has been culled together from research of various sources as a lot of his work from 2007-2014 is kind of hard to track.
Also included, as possible (again, a work in progress!), is a short description, where/how to watch, and, sometimes, other tidbits about the film or Kilmer. If the title is clickable, it will go to a trailer.
I’ll also link my reviews or additional thoughts on films as I write about them in separate posts, but have noted my favorites (Why I Think You Should Watch); that is, the “must see” entries, especially if you’re unfamiliar with his work.
It wasn’t until I started to compile this list did I realize just how prolific Kilmer’s film career was. I remember people asking “what happened to Val Kilmer?” post-2003 or so. Yeah, he was still making movies. A lot of them. There are over 85 on this list and I have no doubt that I’ve missed some. Maybe many.
*indicates films I’ve seen
Top Secret! (1984)*: A screwball comedy by the 80s team of Zucker and Abrahams (Airplane!) about a popular American rock n’ roll singer, Nick Rivers (played by Kilmer), who travels to East Germany and gets caught up in a resistance movement.
Why I Think You Should Watch: It’s Val Kilmer’s first movie, he’s adorable, and does all his own singing and dancing. The movie has almost no plot (as Roger Ebert noted in his glowing review), but it’s very funny and full of great sight gags.
Fun Fact: Kilmer spent months teaching himself to play the guitar only to get on set and have Jerry Zucker tell him it’s funnier if his character only strums.
How to Watch: Available to rent from all streaming services
Real Genius (1985)*: Kilmer is Chris Knight, a teenage science prodigy, now in his senior year at Pacific Tech, a fictional MIT-like university, who understands that life is too short to take things too seriously. He becomes a mentor to Mitch, an incoming 15-year-old student, and the two work together on a laser project that could be much more insidious than just being a tough problem to solve.
Why I Think You Should Watch: Real Genius is my favorite of all of Kilmer’s movies. It is my comfort movie. I also think it’s a brilliant comedy that offers themes around technology and its responsibility to humanity that are still very relevant today.
Fun Fact: Director Martha Coolidge took pains to work with CAL Tech and other universities to ensure that the scientific principles presented in the film are very real.
Val Kilmer Quote You Need In Your Life: “Was it a dream where you see yourself standing in sort of sun-god robes on a pyramid with a thousand naked women screaming and throwing little pickles at you?”
How to Watch: Available to rent from all streaming services OR watch for free on TUBI.
Murders at the Rue Morgue (1986): A retelling of the Edgar Allan Poe classic about the murder investigation of two women. How to Watch: Watch for free on TUBI and YouTube
Top Gun (1986)*: If you don’t know what this movie is about, I can’t help you.
Why I Think You Should Watch: The film that, arguably, made Val Kilmer’s career. And Tom Cruise’s. It’s not my favorite movie, but it is endlessly entertaining. Also, Iceman was right: Maverick was dangerous and not in a good way.
How to Watch: Watch for free on Pluto TV
The Man Who Broke a Thousand Chains (1987)*: An HBO original movie about Robert Elliott Burns (Kilmer), a World War I veteran, who, in his suffering of PTSD (once called ‘shell shock’), is sentenced to a chain gang after a spur-of-the-moment robbery gone wrong. Based on Burns’ autobiography about his escape from prison and his eventual recapture.
Why I Think You Should Watch: One of the many surprises in my Val Kilmer movie rabbit hole. A good and interesting film (though, remember, it’s a TV movie from the 80s so the production values aren’t fabulous) that shows off Kilmer’s early dramatic chops. Watch for a very young Kyra Sedgwick as Kilmer’s love interest.
How to Watch: Watch for free on YouTube
Willow (1988)*: A grand, magical adventure starring Warwick Davis as a young halfling man who finds a human baby and embarks on a journey to bring her to safety. Val Kilmer plays Madmartigan, a maybe-crazy warrior who becomes Willow’s reluctant guardian.
Why I Think You Should Watch: Cut from the same cloth as the Highlander and Lord of the Rings films, Willow is the family-friendly version. It’s a Ron Howard film on Disney steroids and it’s delightfully silly and fun. Plus, a young Kilmer is shirtless. A lot. Like, so much.
Fun Fact: Kilmer met his wife, Joanne Whalley (who plays Sorsha), on the set of Willow. Well, it was where she met him; according to his autobiography, he became enraptured with her after seeing her in a play years before, but couldn’t work up the courage to talk to her. Whalley would reprise her role in the 2022 Disney+ series. Kilmer was too ill (including having lost his voice by that point) to participate. The couple divorced in 1996.
How to Watch: Available to rent on all streaming services or with a subscription to Disney+. Unfortunately, because Disney kinda sucks, the series with Whalley, has been removed from the Disney+ platform. I never got to watch it because I didn’t know I would want to when it aired. Stupid Disney.
Kill Me Again (1989)*: A private detective (Kilmer), grieving the passing of his wife, is hired to fake the death of young woman (Joanne Whalley), who has double crossed her thieving boyfriend (Michael Madsen). A decent film (if a bit convoluted) for fans of noir. How to Watch: Watch for free on TUBI
Billy the Kid (1989): Before Doc Holliday, Kilmer was William Bonney aka Billy the Kid in director Gore Vidal’s adaptation of the outlaw’s story. How to Watch: Watch for free on YouTube (note: picture quality is not great)
The Doors (1991)*: Oliver Stone’s take on the rise and fall of Jim Morrison (Kilmer) of The Doors.
Why I Think You Should Watch: Kilmer’s performance as Morrison. The film itself is fine, but Kilmer makes this music pic a classic with a mesmerizing (albeit controversial) depiction of The Lizard King. (And, as an aside, that poster is so good.)
Fun Fact: Kilmer does his own singing in the film, which Stone agreed to only after Kilmer played his recorded tracks alongside Morrison’s originals and the director could not discern who was who. Reportedly, surviving members of The Doors also could not tell the difference.
Oh, Just One More Thing (and one of the more disturbing facts about Kilmer): Kilmer, ever the method actor, especially in his younger days, embodied Morrison so intensely that he, by his own account, had a hard time letting go of the character once the shoot was over. Some of his behavior on set while “being” Morrison is likely the real start of that reputation for being difficult. It includes a concerning incident: Kilmer reportedly punched actress Caitlyn O’Heaney during an audition to play Morrison’s love interest (a part that would go to Meg Ryan). Kilmer and Stone have said that both actors hit each other during the intense scene, and others on set have refuted her claim. But…after the incident, the studio paid her $24K and had O’Heaney sign a disclosure to stop her from discussing the incident.
How to Watch: Watch for free on Pluto TV
Thunderheart (1992)*: Val Kilmer plays an FBI agent who is sent to a Native American reservation to investigate a series of murders.
Why I Think You Should Watch: I am embarrassed to say that I didn’t watch Thunderheart until my Val Kilmer Rabbit Hole. I didn’t know how much I was missing out. An engaging murder mystery with an very strong performance by Kilmer. Co-stars include the legendary Sam Shepard and Graham Greene. Add to all that: Native American communities have praised the film for its general depiction of Indigenous culture and traditions.
How to Watch: Available to rent or buy on all major streaming services
Tombstone (1993)*: One of the greatest westerns ever made. Follows the story of a retired Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and his brothers, Virgil and Morgan (Sam Elliott and Bill Paxton), who, along with the infamous Doc Holliday (Kilmer), clean up the town of Tombstone by enforcing justice on a ruthless gang of cowboys.
Why I Think You Should Watch: Did you miss the part where I said this is one of the greatest westerns ever made? Kilmer’s Holliday is simply mesmerizing. I grew up on westerns (think: Clint Eastwood) and I would put Tombstone up against any of the greats.
Fun Fact: After writer Kevin Jarre was fired as director, George P. Cosmatos (Rambo, COBRA) was brought in to finish the job. Kurt Russell, who was a producer on Tombstone, became so frustrated by Cosmatos, that he essentially took over directing the film himself with an assist by Kilmer. Russell has teased a “Director’s Cut” of the film for years, but has never found time to edit it together. Kilmer and Russell remained friends throughout Kilmer’s life.
Today’s Linguistics Lesson: In some corners of the Internet, there are people who will claim, very confidently, that Kilmer’s famous, meme-able line is “I’m your huckle bearer” under the idea that the actor’s accent was so thick he wasn’t able to enunciate the line. Nope. From Kilmer’s autobiography:
By the way, despite some fans’ contention that in the 1800s the handles of caskets were called ‘huckles’ and thus the word ‘huckle bearer’ was a term for ‘pall bearer’, I do not say, “I’m your huckle bearer.” I say, “I’m your huckleberry,” connotation being “I’m your man. You’ve met your match.”
Val Kilmer, from his autobiography, “I’m Your Huckleberry”
How to Watch: Available to rent or buy from all major streaming services as well as on several subscription services, including Hulu and AMC+
True Romance (1993)*: Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette play ill-fated lovers dodging drug dealers and other bad guys who want to kill them. From a screenplay by Quentin Tarantino, True Romance was directed by Top Gun‘s Tony Scott. Kilmer shows up very briefly as the practically disembodied voice of Elvis Presley. Fun cameo and good movie. How to watch: Watch for free on RokuTV
The Real McCoy (1993)*: Karen McCoy (Kim Basinger) is a bank robber who gets pulled into a heist by a crime lord (Terence Stamp), who has kidnapped her young son. Kilmer plays her hapless side kick. Lightweight crime thriller that is a bit of fun and bisexual me certainly appreciated both peak hotness Basinger and Kilmer in the same film. How to watch: Not on streaming. Buy the DVD from Amazon.
Heat (1995)*: Michael Mann’s epic crime thriller, which pits Al Pacino and Robert De Niro (sharing the screen for the first time!) as an LAPD detective and a seasoned bank robber attempting one last big score. Kilmer plays Chris Shiherlis, De Niro’s Neil McCauley’s right hand man and troubled husband to Ashley Judd. The standout cast also includes Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Danny Trejo, and Natalie Portman.
Why I Think You should Watch: Heat is a film geek’s heaven. It’s a masterclass in story, directing, and acting, including from Kilmer who doesn’t get a ton of screen time, but makes the most of it, especially in a final scene where he manages to convey an amazing range of emotions without ever saying a single word.
Fun Fact: In Heat, there’s a scene where Kilmer expertly reloads a Colt Model 733 carbine during a tense shoot out. Reportedly, Kilmer’s skill is so masterful that the Marines have used this scene as an example of proper weapons handling.
How to Watch: Available to rent or buy from all major streaming services or watch for free at PLEX
Batman Forever (1995)*: After Michael Keaton and Tim Burton bowed out of Batman, Val Kilmer was chosen as The Dark Knight with Joel Schumacher directing. With an over-the-top Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face and a manic Jim Carrey as The Riddler, this entry in the DC universe is more like the 60s TV show than Nolan’s later darker offerings. Kilmer makes a fine (and even more nuanced than the script allows) Bruce Wayne and an adequate Batman. Kilmer infamously clashed with Schumacher on set and dipped after one film (to, according to Kilmer, make The Saint). How to Watch: Available to rent or buy from all major streaming services or watch with a subscription to HBO.
Wings of Courage (1995): A French-American short film telling the story of aviators attempting the first airmail flights over the Andes. How to Watch: Available to rent or buy from Apple TV.
The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)*: Based on the story by H.G. Wells, this is the cautionary tale of Dr. Moreau (played by Marlon Brando), who decides to improve humanity by cross-breeding the species with animals. It does not go well. Kilmer plays Montgomery, a disgraced neurosurgeon who becomes Hyde to Moreau’s Jekyll.
Why I Think You Should Watch: One of my most controversial opinions on Kilmer’s work is this movie is pretty good. Is it great? Oh no, but the core of something interesting is here and the final result is entertaining and disturbing in the best way. As a bonus: Kilmer’s pitch perfect Brando impression is delightful, weird, and adds a horrific humor to the last third of the film.
Cementing That ‘Difficult’ Reputation: The Island of Dr. Moreau is considered one of the most cursed and dysfunctional sets of all time. It was bad before Kilmer got there; he made it worse with anger issues stemming from a chaotic shoot and finding out (from a news report on CNN) that his wife had filed for divorce as he was getting ready to head to set for the first time.
The movie’s making was such a shit show, there’s a whole documentary about it: Lost Souls: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau. Worth a watch, but take it all with a grain of salt. Kilmer and co-star David Thewlis have shared similar accounts of what happened on set that conflicts with some of what’s in the documentary. I would guess the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
One More Thing: Kilmer claims in his autobiography that he and Brando were friends—or, at least, friendly—prior to Dr. Moreau. He tells a story in the book connected to director John Frankenheimer, who was brought in to finish the film after the original director, Richard Stanley, was fired: Brando and Kilmer were supposedly aligned to confront Frankenheimer about the problems they saw in the script and on set. After Brando ad-libbed his character’s opening scene, Frankenheimer beat them to the punch and asked to meet the duo in Brando’s trailer (which Kilmer explains is a bit of a faux pas on a movie set). In Kilmer’s telling, he immediately takes Frankenheimer to task for the script issues and work conditions (especially concerning Brando, who was in poor health). The director then turns to Brando to simply tell him to stick to the script and that’s that. Brando folds (my words, not Kilmer’s).
Soon after, it’s reported that Brando said to Kilmer on set: “Your problem is you confuse the size of your paycheck with the size of your talent.” (This quote is brought up in the Today show interview linked below.) Kilmer maintains Brando never said this to him and, for his part, Kilmer continued to defend Brando and never said a disparaging thing about the late, great actor (who had his own reputation for being exceedingly difficult). Kilmer clearly admired Brando and saw him as a mentor, even when there was perhaps reason to consider their relationship in a different light.
There’s so much about this movie’s making to say; it’s simply fascinating how it came to be and how the personalities involved clashed. I’ll save the rest for a future stand-alone post.
A Publicist’s Nightmare: This absolutely nasty interview with Bryan Gumbel on Today. I give Kilmer props for his thoughtful responses.
How to Watch: Available to rent or buy from all major streaming services.
The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)*: The true-ish story of John Henry Patterson (Kilmer), who is charged with building a railroad across part of Africa in the late 1800s. All does not go to plan though when a couple of man-eating lions terrorize the camp and its workers.
Why I Think You Should Watch: It’s Jaws with killer lions. Plus, Val’s terrible Irish accent aside (what was that, my dude?), he and co-stars Michael Douglas and John Kani have great chemistry. A very fun film about murderous, blood-soaked kitty cats.
Fun Fact: Kilmer was originally slated to headline the movie alone. Michael Douglas, who was producing the film, expanded the role of a fictional lion killing expert named Remington and became a co-star, supposedly because he found the character compelling. Honestly, I’m glad he did. Even though Remington was not a real person, Douglas works so well in the part, the film is made better and more believable for it.
How to Watch: Available to rent or buy from all major streaming services.
Dead Girl (1996)*: A struggling actor works with his therapist (Kilmer) to improve his career and life in this satirical take on Hollywood’s dysfunction.
Fun Fact: This film has an impressive cast: Kilmer, Amanda Plummer, and Famke Janssen, but it premiered quietly in Japan on September 22, 1996 to abysmal reviews and never saw a darkened movie theater in the U.S. Some reviews gave mild praise to Kilmer’s scenes as a bright spot in a very dark and awful film.
My take: This film is terrible and tasteless. Like Very Bad Things and Buffalo 66 had a cursed baby bad. BUT if, like me, you sometimes appreciate experiencing cinematic failures (you know, for science) then watch this. You will not be disappointed. Plus, Kilmer has great crazy eyes made all the better by his “little boy wants berries and cream” slicked back bob cut.
How to Watch: Watch it for free on YouTube OR just watch a super cut of only Kilmer’s scenes, which taken out of context are somehow wilder than they are in the film.
The Saint (1997)*: Kilmer takes on the role of Simon “The Saint” Templar (based on the 1960s TV show with Roger Moore), a mercenary tasked with stealing the secret formula for cold fusion calculated by a super-hot-but-doesn’t-know-it scientist (Elisabeth Shue). Shue and Kilmer have fine chemistry and the film itself is an enjoyable, if forgettable, little confection. Not a must-see, but there are worse ways to spend an evening. How to watch: Available for rent on all major streaming services or with a subscription to Paramount+.
The Prince of Egypt (1998): This animated retelling of the Book of Exodus has Kilmer voicing the role of Moses. This was the first of two times he would play Moses (the second in an LA stage production in the mid-2000s) and was likely inspired by his own faith: he was a life-long Christian Scientist, a religion that clearly influenced his view of the world. I have opinions—especially in how that religion specifically may have impacted Kilmer health—but I’ll keep those to myself. How to Watch: Watch it on Netflix or rent from any of the major streaming services.
At First Sight (1999)*: Loosely based on a true story, Kilmer plays Virgil, a blind massage therapist from a small upstate New York village. He meets and falls in love with a stressed out architect, who decides to help Virgil regain his sight.
Why I Think You Should Watch: Ok, so this one is a bit of loose recommendation. The film itself is fine, but there are elements that make it worth taking the trip: Kilmer reunited with his Top Gun co-star Kelly McGillis (who plays his sister), his scenes with Nathan Lane, a therapist helping him adjust to sighted life (these parts are the best of the film); and his portrayal of someone having their sight return after a lifetime in darkness. The not-so-good is the romance between Kilmer and the architect, played by Mira Sorvino. The two have decent chemistry, but I’m never a fan of films where the romance is predicated on one partner “fixing” the other. Of course, that does become the point of the film, but it still bugged me.
Where to Watch: Watch for free on TUBI or with a subscription to Amazon
Joe the King (1999)*: In the 1970s, a young teen (Noah Fleiss) tries to navigate life with an alcoholic father (Kilmer) and a distant mother.
Why I Think You Should Watch: This is another “Kilmer Rabbit Hole” film and it’s fabulous. A slice-of-life movie that will break your heart. Kilmer is in the film for about 10 minutes of its runtime, but does great work here along with the rest of the cast, especially the young lead. Directed by Frank Whaley, the film also stars Ethan Hawke and John Leguizamo.
Where to Watch: Bless director Frank Whaley who uploaded the full film to stream on Vimeo about six years ago.
Red Planet (2000)*: A team of astronauts search the cosmos to try and save a dying Earth. Cast is solid—Carrie-Anne Moss, Tom Sizemore, Terrance Stamp, and Benjamin Bratt join Kilmer—but the plot is silly in that way that can be satisfying in a bad sci-fi film, but this one is too glossy and takes itself too seriously. Where to Watch: Available to rent or buy from most major streaming services.
Pollock (2000)*: Ed Harris plays the iconic painter. Kilmer has a cameo as Willem De Kooning, a Dutch artist. This movie is 100% worth watching, but not necessarily for Kilmer’s brief time on screen.. Ed Harris was nominated and Marcia Gay Harding won Academy Awards for their performances. Where to Watch: Watch for free on TUBI
Hard Cash (2002)*: Kilmer is a corrupt FBI agent trying to con a team of bank robbers lead by Christian Slater. This movie is not good and not even in a “you should any way because…” Best I can say is Kilmer is clearly having fun and hams it up throughout. I don’t recommend it even for that, but if you’re a masochist: Watch for free on TUBI.
The Salton Sea (2002)*: This crime noir has Kilmer playing a musician haunted by the death of his wife.
Why I Think You Should Watch: In another universe, Kilmer would have done a lot more roles like this. The Salton Sea—directed by DJ Caruso from a script by Frank Darabont—is a beautiful, funny, thoughtful, and, sometimes, disturbing film. I have some minor quibbles with the film, but it has a premise that quietly sneaks up on you and Kilmer is perfect in the role of a grieving man who wants revenge, but also just wants to stop feeling anything. My second place finisher in the list of Kilmer’s films and one of my all-time favorites that I only discovered because of the Kilmer Rabbit Hole.
Additional Reading: This interview with Backstage promoting The Salton Sea with Kilmer, Caruso, and co-star Deborah Kara Unger, which gives insight into Kilmer’s personality and what he was like to work with.
Where to Watch: Available to rent or buy from all major streaming services.
The Missing (2003)*
Wonderland (2003)*
Blind Horizon (2003)*
Masked and Anonymous (2003)
Spartan (2004)*
George and the Dragon (2004)
Mindhunters (2004)
Stateside (2004)
Alexander (2004)
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)*
Déjà Vu (2006)*
Moscow Zero (2006)
Played (2006)
Summer Love (2006)
10th and Wolf (2006)
Have Dreams Will Travel (2007)
Felon (2008)
Conspiracy (2008)
The Love Guru (2008)*
Columbus Day (2008)
2:22 (2008)
XIII: The Movie (2008)
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call (2008)
Delgo (2008)
The Chaos Experiment (2009)*
The Thaw (2009)*
Hardwired (2009)
Streets of Blood (2009)*
Double Identity (2009)*
American Cowslip (2009)
The Traveler (2010)*
Macgruber (2010)*
Gun (2010)
Bloodworth (2010)
Twixt (2011)*
Kill the Irishman (2011)
Blood Out (2011)
5 Days of War (2011)*
The Fourth Dimension (2012)
Wyatt Earp’s Revenge (2012)
Deep in the Heart (2012)
Breathless (2012)
7 Below (2012)
Standing Up (2013)
Riddle (2013)
Palo Alto (2013)
Planes (2013)*
Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn (2013)
The Super (2017)
The Snowman (2017)
Song to Song (2017)
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)*
A Soldier’s Revenge (2019)
Cinema Twain (2019)
1st Born (2019)
Paydirt (2020)
Val (2021)*
The Birthday Cake (2021)
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)*
The Unbearable Lightness of Val Kilmer 