Val Kilmer in Real Genius. Photo: TriStar Pictures/Everett Collection
Val Kilmer was one of the most interesting actors of his generation. Other than small appearances in films like Top Gun: Maverick and The Snowman, Kilmer, who died this week, had largely retired when it came to movies, forced into stepping back due to recurring health problems, including a battle with cancer. (Watch Val on Prime Video to learn more about his past few decades.) At the height of his powers, there was a time when Kilmer’s name in a cast made even bombs like The Island of Dr. Moreau and The Saint more interesting. We’ve picked ten of his most memorable performances and produced a guide for how to watch them, complete with links to do so directly. Pick your fave. Actually, pick two. Chronologically …
Year: 1984
Run time: 1 hr, 30 mins
Director: Jim Abrahams
Still in his early 20s, Kilmer made his debut in a film from the creators of the legendary Airplane!, this time delivering a spoof of everything from Elvis musicals to spy flicks. As Nick Rivers, Kilmer is charming and hysterical, proving he could be both an old-fashioned movie star and poke fun at them at the same time. It may not have the fan base of some other of the ZAZ parody flicks, but people who love this movie truly love this movie. You might be one! Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
Year: 1985
Run time: 1 hr, 45 mins
Director: Martha Coolidge
Before he was Iceman, Kilmer was a comedy star, first with ZAZ and then in this consistently funny flick about a troublemaking student who happens to be an actual genius. He does something clever here, taking the smartest character in almost every scene and making him into a wisecracking jackass at the same time. At a time when nerds were getting their revenge, most of them wanted to be Chris Knight. Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
Year: 1986
Run time: 1 hr, 44 mins
Director: Tony Scott
One of the biggest films of its era, Top Gun would radically change Kilmer’s career, taking him from a goofy young comedy star to a sexy action-movie villain. Of course, he plays Lieutenant Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, a student at Top Gun, the Naval Fighter Weapons School in California. He’s the rival of Tom Cruise’s Maverick, but he nearly walks off with the entire movie, stealing many of the scenes opposite the man who would become one of the biggest stars in the world. When people hear Val Kilmer’s name, the vast majority picture him in a flight suit. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Year: 1988
Run time: 2 hrs, 6 mins
Director: Ron Howard
Based on a story by George Lucas, this fantasy was supposed to be the biggest hit of 1988. It wasn’t quite that, but it did build a loyal following over the years, first on VHS and more recently through a spinoff series on Disney+. Go back to where it all began and reminisce about that too-small window when Kilmer could carry a high-budget summer blockbuster. We didn’t know how good we had it. Streaming on Disney+.
Year: 1991
Run time: 2 hrs, 18 mins
Director: Oliver Stone
Has there ever been a better merger of movie star and rock icon than when Kilmer played Jim Morrison? Kilmer and director Oliver Stone didn’t just want to tell the story of the musical leader of the Doors — they wanted to turn his aura into cinema. The result might be Kilmer’s best performance and proof that he could work with auteurs as much as blockbuster directors. It feels like he doesn’t get the part in Heat without this movie. Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
Year: 1993
Run time: 1 hr, 53 mins
Director: George P. Cosmatos
Very loosely based on the true story of Wyatt Earp and his gang, this Kurt Russell western is legitimately stolen by Kilmer’s turn as the legendary Doc Holliday. Sexy, funny, and captivating, this might be Kilmer at his most charismatic, even as Holliday drinks himself to death. It will make you wish that the actor made more westerns before he died. There’s just something about his onscreen persona that fits the genre like a glove. Streaming on Hulu.
Year: 1993
Run time: 1 hr, 58 mins
Director: Tony Scott
You never see his face, but Kilmer still makes an impact in this film that reunited him with his Top Gun director, Tony Scott. In fact, some viewers may not have even known that Kilmer plays the ghost of Elvis Presley, heard giving advice to Christian Slater’s low-level criminal. It’s more than just a cameo. Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
Year: 1995
Run time: 2 hrs, 2 mins
Director: Joel Schumacher
Kilmer may have not been the best Batman, but he certainly starred in one of the most memorable movies about the Dark Knight. He knew that Bruce Wayne was basically the straight man in this flick, opposite the chaos generated by the performances from Jim Carrey as the Riddler, Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face, and even Nicole Kidman as Chase Meridian. Kilmer couldn’t get out of the bat suit quickly enough, but this will always be a part of his legacy, particularly because it felt like he left the summer-blockbuster game forever after suffering through it. Streaming on Max.
Year: 1995
Run time: 2 hrs, 50 mins
Director: Michael Mann
Michael Mann knew exactly how to use Kilmer’s toughened vulnerability when he cast him as Chris Shiherlis, the right-hand man to a legendary L.A. criminal played by Robert De Niro. The excellent 2022 book Heat 2 centers what happens to Chris after the end of this movie, and filling Kilmer’s shoes is going to be a tough assignment for whomever is willing to take it. (We believe in you, Glen Powell, our dream casting.) Streaming on Netflix.
Year: 2005
Run time: 1 hr, 38 mins
Director: Shane Black
Kilmer’s last great performance came opposite Robert Downey Jr. in this dark comedy with noir undercurrents. As Los Angeles P.I. Perry van Shrike, Kilmer uses his insider knowledge of decades in the Hollywood Hills to inject Shane Black’s script with sharp wit in every line delivery. He’s so good in a movie that more people need to see. Start here. Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
