10 Best Val Kilmer Movies Ever, Ranked (According To IMDb)

Though we don’t see him in films as much as we used to, Val Kilmer remains an iconic actor who is always a welcome presence in films. His career has spanned a number of decades and he has proven to be endlessly versatile in his many great film roles.

Even with his recent battle with throat cancer, Kilmer has managed to continue working, including an appearance in the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick. But his past work is also filled with so many great films, from his most famous roles to the lesser-known gems. Here are Val Kilmer’s best movies, according to IMDb.

10 Kill The Irishman (2011): 7.1

While Kilmer has played the lead in many movies, he is also very effective in supporting roles. He joined an impressive ensemble in Kill the Irishman, an entertaining true mobster story. Ray Stevenson plays Danny Green, an Irish enforcer working for the mafia in the 1970s.

When Green decided he was done paying off the mob figures who controlled the city, he was targeted for assassination. However, he proved to be a difficult man to kill. Kilmer plays a cop friend of Green’s.

9 The Prince Of Egypt (1998): 7.1

Kilmer’s first major role in an animated film came with this epic retelling of the story of Moses. Kilmer takes on that iconic role (along with voicing God in one sequence) in the story of a young orphaned boy taken in by the pharaoh’s family. Moses grows up to see his brother Ramses (Ralph Fiennes) become a cruel ruler, and realizes his destiny to lead his people to freedom.

The film is a visual wonder and a surprisingly heavy retelling of the famous story for a family film. The all-star cast also includes Sandra Bullock, Patrick Stewart, and Steve Martin.

8 The Doors (1991): 7.2

Kilmer has played many famous figures throughout his career, and Jim Morrison of The Doors is certainly one of the most notable. This Oliver Stone film follows the rise of this hugely influential band in the 1960s and Morrison’s struggle with fame and addiction.

Kilmer gives an eerie and haunting performance as the man who was probably better off being a poet than a rock star. The Doors is a surreal journey through the time period and a horrific yet captivating look at the downfall of a talented artist.

7 Top Secret! (1984): 7.2

Kilmer doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to show off his silly side in films. However, it’s easy to forget that his breakthrough role was in the outrageous and ridiculous comedy Top Secret!. From the people who made Airplane!, this is a wild spoof of WWII spy movies with Kilmer starring as Nick Rivers, a rock star who becomes involved in rescuing a scientist from Germany.

Like Airplane!, this film is a non-stop barrage of jokes that will have you laugh until it hurts. Kilmer is hilarious in the lead role, and there are plenty of classic gags that still make us laugh out loud after all these years.

6 Willow (1988): 7.3

Kilmer became a swashbuckling hero early in his career with the fantasy epic, Willow. Warwick Davis stars as the titular character, a dwarf in a mystical world who is tasked with protecting a young child from an evil queen. Kilmer plays a swordsman who accompanies Willow on his quest.

The film was directed by Ron Howard, and based on a story by George Lucas, so it’s no surprise there’s some genuine fantasy fun to be had. The film has gone on to become a cult favorite, and a Disney+ series is apparently being discussed.

5 Felon (2008): 7.4

At a certain point in his career, Kilmer stopped getting high profile roles and started appearing in smaller, straight-to-video projects. While some of those films are quite forgettable, Felon is a real hidden gem from that point in his career.

The film stars Stephen Dorff as a family man who is sentenced to prison for killing a man in self-defense. Along with his seasoned cellmate (Kilmer), this man must deal with the harsh and violent life behind bars. It is a gripping and gritty thriller about the horrors of prison.

4 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005): 7.5

Kilmer once again got the chance to show how funny he can be while still getting to be a badass in Shane Black’s hilarious dark comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Robert Downey Jr. plays a thief who becomes mixed up in a case of mistaken identity. He then must partner with an L.A. private detective (Kilmer) to solve a twisty conspiracy.

Black makes a fantastic directorial debut while creating a sharp and witty script. Downey Jr. and Kilmer are a match made in movie heaven, each delivering epically hysterical performances as the mismatched partners.

3 Tombstone (1993): 7.8

Kilmer stepped into the Western genre for this telling of the legendary lawman Wyatt Earp. Kurt Russell stars as Earp, whose plans to settle down in the town of Tombstone are interrupted by outlaws. Along with his brothers and gunfighter Doc Holliday (Kilmer), Earp seeks to bring justice to the West.

The sweeping scope makes for a thrilling and grand Western adventure. The cast is filled with exciting actors all doing great work. However, Kilmer steals the show as the fearless and loyal Doc.

2 True Romance (1993): 7.9

Even at the height of his fame, Kilmer was not opposed to taking roles in which he was not in the spotlight. True Romance is the wild crime film directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino. It tells the story of two lovers (Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette) who go on the run after stealing a suitcase full of drugs from a gangster.

Kilmer has a small but entertaining role as Slater’s imaginary mentor, Elvis Presley. The film is packed with plenty of other great actors, some wild action sequences, and a typically impressive screenplay by Tarantino.

1 Heat (1995): 8.2

Kilmer joined another epic ensemble in Michael Mann’s crime masterpiece, Heat. Robert De Niro plays the leader of a group of skilled thieves planning a massive bank heist while Al Pacino plays the determined detective on the gang’s trail. Kilmer plays the self-destructive member of De Niro’s crew.

Along with the amazing cast, Mann creates one of the most grounded and engrossing heist films of all time. The robbery sequences are absolutely thrilling, and the cat-and-mouse game between the two leads makes for an endlessly entertaining movie.

About The Author

Colin McCormick
(2028 Articles Published)

Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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