All 7 Val Kilmer Horror Movies, Ranked

Val Kilmer’s career has been full of unforgettable performances as well as some hidden gems that are just waiting to be discovered. A versatile actor, he would often switch up genres, and try out many different types of roles. There are certain roles synonymous with Kilmer as he made his mark on cinema as well as the world in his 65 years of life. He even starred in some films that fall in the horror category, and are definitely worth exploring to see him tackle different roles that audiences might not be used to seeing him in.

Though he may not have been the go-to “scream king,” he has picked a handful of films that set up an eerie atmosphere and offer a few scares. The quality of the projects may vary, with some having seen less critical success than others, but there are some films he was part of that are extremely unique additions to the genre. His performance would sometimes transcend some dubious plot holes, and any true Kilmer fan should be able to say that they’ve seen some of his scariest movies.

7

Moscow Zero (2006)

Directed By María Lidón

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There is a good amount of darkness and some unearthly supernatural themes in this very niche-feeling project. It shows just how many nuanced choices Kilmer made with regard to certain projects. The budget for this film was low, and its limited release did not help with making the film particularly successful.

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Val Kilmer in Batman Forever and Tombstone

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The mystery at the heart of the film is very much one that fans of the genre might be used to, in that a mysterious person disappears under mysterious circumstances. Set in an interconnecting labyrinth of underground catacombs beneath the city of Moscow, there are eerie surprises around every corner.

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Moscow Zero

R

Action

Horror

Drama

Release Date

November 5, 2006

Runtime

82 minutes

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Oksana Akinshina

    Lyuba

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Vincent Gallo

    Owen

  • Headshot of Val Kilmer

    Val Kilmer

    Andrey

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Sage Stallone

    Vassily

Moscow Zero is a supernatural thriller released in 2006, featuring an ensemble cast. The film follows Priest Owen as he assembles a team to explore the depths of Moscow’s underworld, seeking his missing friend Sergei. Their journey delves into legends of demons and a portal to hell lurking beneath the city.

Director

María Lidón

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After all, searching for the entrance to Hell is famously a rather dangerous mission. Not much that happens is surprising in any way, and there is little originality or ambition felt while watching this movie. Rotten Tomatoes does not have an official score, but the Popcornmeter sits at 6%. It doesn’t seem to be easily available on streaming, which might actually be a good thing.

6

Seven Below (2012)

Directed By Kevin Carraway

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Haunted house tropes are by no means new, but they have so much potential to make them into something original and entertaining. There could be an unexpected twist, a series of jump scares, or even a more comedic take on the supernatural circumstances. Countless horror films have shown that even after so many years, there is still a possibility to produce an engaging story with some elements that feel unique to the film that’s on the screen. Unfortunately, this is not that film.

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7 Below

R

Thriller

Horror

Release Date

April 16, 2012

Runtime

90 minutes

Cast

  • Headshot of Val Kilmer

    Val Kilmer

  • Headshot Of Ving Rhames

    Ving Rhames

  • Headshot Of Luke Goss

    Luke Goss

  • Headshot Of Bonnie Somerville

    Bonnie Somerville

When the bus they were traveling in crashes in the mountains, a group of strangers find themselves isolated in the middle of a storm. They are saved by a mysterious man who invites them to seek shelter in his house in the middle of the forest. However, the house itself was the site of a horrific event a hundred years ago and now has its own plan for the new guests.

Director

Kevin Carraway

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Most of the story feels extremely formulaic, with a group of strangers getting stranded in a house that saw some traumatic occurrences around 100 years earlier. It’s a shame to waste a cast that includes Val Kilmer, Ving Rhames, and Luke Goss, but somehow, this movie manages just that. It could be the shortcomings in the script or the lack of dedication to the material, but the critical reception seems to corroborate that. As does the box office gross.

5

The Thaw (2009)

Directed By Mark A. Lewis

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Apart from having a title that sounds rather funny, the film is surprisingly scary. The Thaw mixes science fiction and horror, in a story that sees an ancient disease attack a group of research scientists that starts a deadly pandemic. The set-up of the story shows signs of originality by starting with the state of things as they are now, before they flash back to the origins of the outbreak. Granted, having a virus thawed from extinction within a pre-historical animal is reminiscent of projects like Piranha or The Meg, but the subsequent fear factor feels more serious.

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The Thaw

Horror

Science Fiction

Thriller

Release Date

August 30, 2009

Runtime

94 minutes

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Martha MacIsaac

    Evelyn Kruipen

  • Headshot of Val Kilmer

    Val Kilmer

    Dr. David Kruipen

  • Headshot Of Aaron Ashmore

    Aaron Ashmore

    Atom Galen

  • Headshot Of Kyle Schmid

    Kyle Schmid

    Federico Fulce

The Thaw is a thriller in which ecology students at a remote Arctic research station encounter a prehistoric parasite released from a thawed Woolly Mammoth. Facing quarantine, they must make critical choices to prevent the spread of infection beyond their isolated location. Released in 2009, it explores themes of ecological peril.

Director

Mark A. Lewis

Writers

Michael W. Lewis

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The fear of infection seems so much scarier in a post-pandemic world, so having it used in a horror setting has some merit to it. Each threat comes from the outside as well as from within, as paranoia starts to creep in. It certainly does not push boundaries in any way, but there are moments in the film that evoke that sense of dread that viewers crave in a scary movie. Kilmer’s performance is solid, and elevates the film as much as possible.

4

The Island Of Dr. Moreau (1996)

Directed By John Frankenheimer & Richard Stanley

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The stories behind the making of this film are the stuff of legends. From on-set arguments to constant rewrites and changes in direction cause the end result to feel like a bit of a disjointed mess. But, that’s what adds to its appeal. Trying to search for the moments where tension could be felt coming from the screen, or character inconsistencies that came from all the edits that were made in real-time.

Val Kilmer Biggest Controversy island of Dr Moreau Marlon Brando

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Having two highly regarded actors like Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer would normally ensure a level of quality that is missing from this inconsistent production. Based on a novel by H.G. Wells, the plot is a mix of sci-fi with horror, and a sprinkling of action adventure.

The Island of Dr. Moreau - poster

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The Island of Dr. Moreau

PG-13

Horror

Sci-Fi

Thriller

5.8/10

Release Date

August 23, 1996

Runtime

96 Minutes

Cast

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  • Headshot Of David Thewlis In The 23rd Annual Critics Choice Awards

    David Thewlis

    Douglas

  • Marlon Brando

    Marlon Brando

    Dr. Moreau

The Island of Dr. Moreau is a science fiction horror film directed by John Frankenheimer. It stars Marlon Brando as Dr. Moreau and Val Kilmer as Montgomery, who are on an isolated island where Moreau conducts genetic experiments that transform animals into human-animal hybrids. The film explores themes of scientific ethics and humanity’s relationship with nature.

Director

John Frankenheimer, Richard Stanley

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The mysteries of the strange surroundings, while disturbing, can sometimes feel comedic, and the fear factor never feels like a threat. But, some of the eerie shots provide a sense of unease with an appropriately creepy atmosphere. It is interesting to see the actors try to outperform each other, and while the movie might not be great, it’s worth seeing just for the lore.

3

Mindhunters (2004)

Directed By Renny Harlin

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An underrated part of Val Kilmer’s filmography, this unique slasher film sees a reversal of roles that sets up the unique premise of the story. A group of FBI trainees is set a task to take part in a training simulation where they hunt a “serial killer,” who then turns into a real threat, and starts hunting them down. There are some genuinely entertaining moments as the group realizes that they’ve gone from a controlled environment, to one of genuine danger.

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Mindhunters

R

Mystery

Thriller

Crime

Release Date

May 7, 2004

Runtime

106 Minutes

Cast

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Mindhunters is a psychological thriller directed by Renny Harlin. The film follows a group of FBI trainees, including characters played by LL Cool J and Jonny Lee Miller, who are sent to a remote island for a training exercise. The trainees must use their profiling skills to survive when they discover that one of them may be a serial killer targeting the others.

Director

Renny Harlin

Writers

Wayne Kramer, Kevin Brodbin

Main Genre

Mystery

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The other highlight of the movie is the cast, which is stacked with some big names who put in some really great performances. While the writing is not of the highest quality, they manage to have fun with it and create a mood that befits the genre. Joining Kilmer are LL Cool J, Christian Slater, and Jonny Lee Miller, whose action skills are put to the test. There is a decent amount of violence and scary moments that keep viewers entertained throughout.

2

Twixt (2011)

Directed By Francis Ford Coppola

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The legendary director is able to create some stunning visuals that set the scene for some creepy plot points, and there are some aspects of gothic romance that Francis Ford Coppola is known for. With witches, murders and morgues, there are some solid set-ups for scares which sometimes land well, and sometimes they don’t.

It’s good to see Kilmer lead a movie with some genuinely brooding energy, and the rest of the cast serves to bring each story within a story to life.

Edgar Allan Poe even gets a mention, adding some of his classic darkness to the story. Seen through the eyes of a writer, the audience also gets transported into a dream world with a whole different set of rules. It’s good to see Kilmer lead a movie with some genuinely brooding energy, and the rest of the cast serves to bring each story within a story to life.

Twixt (2011) - Poster

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Twixt

R

Horror

Mystery

Sci-Fi

Thriller

Release Date

September 10, 2011

Runtime

88 minutes

Cast

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  • Headshot of Val Kilmer

    Val Kilmer

    Hall Baltimore

  • Headshot Of Bruce Dern

    Bruce Dern

    Sheriff Bobby LaGrange

  • Headshot Of Elle Fanning In the House of Suntory

    Elle Fanning

    V.

  • Headshot Of Ben Chaplin

    Ben Chaplin

    Edgar Allan Poe

Twixt follows a struggling horror writer who, while visiting a small town on a book tour, becomes entangled in a murder mystery involving a young girl. He encounters a mysterious ghost named V in a dream, further deepening the intrigue surrounding the case.

Director

Francis Ford Coppola

Writers

Francis Ford Coppola

Main Genre

Horror

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Elle Fanning does her best as a fictional ingénue, and Bruce Dern, Ben Chaplin, and Joanne Whalley round off the rather impressive cast. Though Twixt never manages to hit the heights of some of Coppola’s previous projects, there are definitely moments where his vision can be felt.

1

The Super (2017)

Directed By Stephan Rick

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Suspense and a decent number of twists set this film apart from some of the other horror films Val Kilmer starred in. He also manages to be the best thing about it, which goes to show that when he shows up in full force, he is able to put in a scene-stealing performance. Set in a particularly chilling apartment building, there are mysterious disappearances, unsolved murders, and even a little bit of black magic courtesy of Val Kilmer as the sinister Walter.

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The Super

R

Thriller

Horror

Release Date

November 8, 2018

Runtime

90 minutes

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Patrick John Flueger

    Patrick John Flueger

    Phil Logan

  • Headshot of Val Kilmer

    Val Kilmer

    Walter

  • Headshot Of Louisa Krause

    Louisa Krause

    Beverly

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Mattea Conforti

    Rose

The Super is a thriller centering on a former NYPD officer who becomes the superintendent of a New York City apartment building where tenants mysteriously disappear. As he investigates the unexplained vanishings, he becomes entangled in the building’s dark secrets.

Director

Stephan Rick

Writers

John J. McLaughlin

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The premise manages to create enough suspense and intrigue, with unanswered questions that nag viewers throughout the movie as it develops. By no means perfect; its Rotten Tomatoes score is a middling 40%, but there is enough substance to keep viewers entertained throughout. Especially Kilmer’s role, which teeters between misunderstood and menacing mayhem, and lets him masterfully deliver some lines that might not have had as much of an impact if performed by someone else.