[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.

[4] 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.

[5][6] The footage, which Kilmer had shot for years, featured his growing up, attending school, auditioning, his career, and family.

[4] 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.

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.