In Val , a Glimpse Behind the Scenes at One of Hollywood’s Most Mercurial Stars

Everyone likely conjures a different moment when they hear the name Val Kilmer. Many will remember him drawling “I’m your huckleberry” as Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1993). Others may see a toothy gentleman with a gray combover sneering, “You don't put any stock in this cold-fusion mumbo jumbo, do you?” in The Saint (1997). For me, it’s him menacingly snapping his jaw—likened to “the sharp-cut bottom half of a stop sign”—at Tom Cruise in Top Gun (1986) with a shit-eating grin after puny Maverick says, laughably, “I am dangerous.”

Kilmer has been an unlikely pandemic comeback star. After a viral New York Times Magazine profile last May, timed to coincide with the publication of his best-selling autobiography, this weekend sees the release of Val, a new documentary now streaming on Amazon. It traces the life and 40-year career of the mercurial actor from his 1980s and 1990s heyday on Hollywood’s A-list to his descent into box-office bombs in the 2000s and nearly disappearing from the screen in the 2010s (MacGruber notwithstanding). In 2014 Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer, and although he’s now cancer-free, a subsequent tracheostomy left his distinctive voice a mere whisper. (Kilmer’s son, Jack, steps in to handle his father’s first-person narration for the film, proving a very close approximation of the young Val Kilmer.)

Co-directors Leo Scott and Ting Poo are both experienced editors making their directing debut, and they skillfully sifted through thousands of hours of footage that Kilmer, now 61, had shot himself and stored in boxes. (He’s credited as cinematographer as well as producer.) The result is a film that’s “personal but not quite intimate,” bringing viewers behind the scenes but stopping short of being revelatory. (Don’t expect any satisfying answers to those rumors of him being difficult on set, for instance.)

Nevertheless, it’s a pleasure to see the movie world from Kilmer’s perspective, especially in his glory days—he offhandedly notes that his date to the Top Gun premiere was Cher—and to gain insight into his idiosyncratic career, from being the youngest student accepted into Juilliard’s acting program to his performances as Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991) and as the Caped Crusader in Batman Forever (1995). It’s a rare and enjoyable look into the triumphs, tragedies, and indignities contained within the lifespan of an actor and artist, albeit a singular, irrepressible one. By the end of Val, one can’t help but suspect—and hope—that Kilmer’s got at least one more act left in him.

Looking for a few more things to watch this weekend? Find our recommendations below:

Hit & Run

From the creators of the Israeli drama Fauda comes Hit & Run; a twisty new series about a Tel Aviv tour guide, Segev Azulai, whose wife is killed before a visit to America. Suspecting foul play, Azulai engages the help of his Israeli detective cousin, an old friend, and an American journalist ex to track down the people responsible. Lior Raz, the show’s co-creator, stars alongside Sanaa Lathan, Gal Toren, Kaelen Ohm, Moran Rosenblatt, Lior Ashkenazi, and Gregg Henry.

Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle

To close out its digital “Summer of Rohmer” series, the Metrograph is streaming Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle, director Éric Rohmer’s string of charming Parisian vignettes from 1987. Shot during a break in production on The Green Ray, Four Adventures follows two young women as they meet, become friends, and stumble through their lives in the big city together. Joëlle Miquel and Jessica Forde play the central pair, with Fabrice Luchini and Rohmer regular Marie Rivière in supporting roles.

The Olympics Closing Ceremony

After 17 dramatic days of competition, the Tokyo Olympics conclude this weekend with a smattering of events (including boxing, volleyball, and men’s water polo) and a closing ceremony at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium. The latter will air live on NBC, NBC Olympics, Peacock, and on fuboTV at 7:00am EST on Sunday, and be rebroadcast in primetime that evening at 7:30pm.

Originally Appeared on Vogue