Two titans of stage and screen are now the subjects of heart-rending new films.
Val Kilmer on his health, new movie with daughter Mercedes, ‘Top Gun’ and Tom Cruise
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“Batman Forever” actor Val Kilmer and legendary choreographer Alvin Ailey each get the documentary treatment this month in “Val” and “Ailey,” respectively.
“Val” (in theaters and streaming on Amazon Prime now) uses intimate behind-the-scenes video – most of which was shot by Kilmer – to trace the movie star’s four-decade career, endearing fans with performances in ’80s and ’90s classics including “Top Gun,” “Willow” and “Tombstone.” Co-directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo, the doc also features emotional new interviews with Kilmer, 61, as he reflects on personal and professional highs and lows, and struggles to regain the full use of his voice following a two-year throat cancer battle.
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‘You want it to hurt’: Val Kilmer, daughter Mercedes explain why their tearful ‘Paydirt’ scenes are so emotional
“Ailey” (in theaters now) is similarly poignant in its reflection on Ailey, who died in 1989 from AIDS-related complications at age 58. The doc revisits the wondrous choreography and activism of the Black gay trailblazer, painting a portrait of a man who was warm and unpretentious yet intensely private. Director Jamila Wignot intercuts the film with breathtaking rehearsal footage of Ailey’s dance company preparing for a 60th anniversary tribute to him in 2018.
“Val” and “Ailey” are two of the many real-life stories coming to the big and small screen this summer. From music to mysteries to a lonely whale, here are all the docs that should be on your radar:
‘Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)’
Questlove revives 1969’s long-forgotten Harlem Cultural Festival in this Sundance award-winning concert doc, featuring performances from icons Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder and The 5th Dimension. (Now in theaters and streaming on Hulu.)
Deep dive: How Questlove turned a forgotten music fest into 2021’s most ‘compelling’ documentary
‘Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain’
The TV host’s life and 2018 suicide are explored in Morgan Neville’s controversial new documentary, which uses AI technology to recreate Bourdain’s voice and opts not to interview his last girlfriend, actress Asia Argento. (Now in theaters.)
‘The Hidden Life of Trees’
Based on forester Peter Wohlleben’s 2015 book, which posits that trees are actually social beings with families and ways of communicating amongst each other. (Now in theaters.)
‘The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52’
Video: Val Kilmer’s Children Share How Proud Their Father Is of His New Documentary (Exclusive) (ETonline)
Val Kilmer’s Children Share How Proud Their Father Is of His New Documentary (Exclusive)
Mom of Fetty Wap’s Late 4-Year-Old Daughter Shuts Down Report About Her Cause of Death Turquoise Miami, the mom of Fetty Wap’s late 4-year-old daughter, Lauren, took to social media to slam reports that her baby girl died from heart defect complications. ETonline
Vanessa Bryant Takes Daughters on Lavish European Vacation Vanessa Bryant took to Instagram to document her lavish getaway to Europe with her daughters: Natalia, 18, Bianka, 4, and Capri, 2. ETonline
Gwen Stefani Photoshops Herself Over Blake Shelton’s Ex Wife Gwen Stefani posted a new profile pic to Twitter on Wednesday, featuring a throwback picture of her husband, Blake Shelton, and a photoshopped version of herself ETonline
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Leonardo DiCaprio executive produces this fascinating look at the so-called “52 Hertz Whale,” a creature said to live alone in the Pacific Ocean and emit a one-of-a-kind frequency that other whales can’t hear. (Now in theaters and on VOD platforms.)
New documentaries in August
‘Pray Away’
Continuing his push to bring LGBTQ stories to Netflix, Ryan Murphy backs this powerful documentary about conversion therapy and former leaders of the “pray the gay away” movement. (Streaming on Netflix)
‘Bring Your Own Brigade’
A firsthand look at the history and heroism behind California wildfires including 2018’s Camp Fire, still the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history. (In theaters now Aug. 6 and streaming on Paramount+ Aug. 20.)
‘Misha and the Wolves’
A Holocaust survivor’s stunning tale of survival is more complicated than it seems in this twisty, thought-provoking documentary out of Sundance. (Streaming on Netflix Aug. 11.)
‘Homeroom’
A year in the life of Oakland, California high-school students, following in real time as they navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and protests sparked by George Floyd’s murder. (In theaters Aug. 12 and streaming on Hulu.)
‘The Lost Leonardo’
A stranger-than-fiction story about the most expensive painting ever sold: the Salvator Mundi, a disputed work thought to be the lost art of Leonardo da Vinci that auctioned for $450 million in 2017. (In select theaters Aug. 13)
‘Not Going Quietly’
This year’s Audience Award winner at the South By Southwest festival chronicles the efforts of healthcare activist Ady Barkan, who was diagnosed with the degenerative disease ALS at age 32. (In select theaters Aug. 13)
‘Missing in Brooks County’
Two families search for their loved ones who went missing after crossing into the U.S. from Mexico in this sobering dive into the border humanitarian crisis. (In select theaters Aug. 20.)
‘The Outsider’
A window into the years-long battle to make the National 9/11 Museum at Ground Zero, which opened in New York in 2014. (In select theaters and virtual cinemas Aug. 20.)
‘On Broadway’
As the Great White Way prepares to reopen, filmmaker Oren Jacoby looks back at the shows that have defined America’s theater capital, featuring interviews and performances from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Viola Davis, James Earl Jones and Helen Mirren. (In select theaters starting Aug. 20.)
With theaters back up and running, and Hollywood returning to normal, it’s time to catch up on the must-see movies of the year so far.
Idris Elba (left) stars as grumpy supervillain Bloodsport and Sylvester Stallone voices the lovable scene-stealer King Shark in James Gunn’s gonzo action movie “The Suicide Squad.” Here’s how it ranks against the rest of the best movies of 2021:
25. “The Water Man”: Hoping to help his ailing mom, young Gunner (Lonnie Chavis, with Amiah Miller) searches for a mythical figure in the forest said to hold a key to immortality in director David Oyelowo’s old-school family adventure with a 1980s sensibility.
24. “Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar”: Kristen Wiig (left) and Annie Mumolo are middle-aged BFFs who stumble onto a plot to take out a Florida vacation spot in a bizarro comedy featuring killer mosquitoes, a helpful water spirit and the very earwormy song “I Love Boobies.”
23. “Honeydew”: After getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, Riley (Malin Barr) wonders about their strange host’s home cooking while Sam (Sawyer Spielberg) chows down in a rural thriller that’s a gory mix of “Hansel & Gretel” and “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.”
22. “Zola”: Stefani (Riley Keough, left) involves her new friend Zola (Taylour Paige) in some seriously shady dealings in director Janicza Bravo’s bonkers but empowering comedic thriller based on A’Ziah King’s infamous Twitter thread.
21. “Plan B”: Strait-laced Sunny (Kuhoo Verma, left) and her rebel BFF Lupe (Victoria Moroles) are South Dakota high schoolers on an epic trip to find a morning-after pill in director Natalie Morales’ fun and heartfelt one-crazy-night caper.
20. “In the Heights”: Anthony Ramos plays a New York bodega owner who dreams of returning to the Dominican Republic in Jon M. Chu’s infectious movie musical version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway show.
19. “Raya and the Last Dragon”: Young warrior Raya (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran, left) teams up with legendary water dragon Sisu (Awkwafina) in an epic and sassy animated fantasy adventure for youngsters not yet ready for “Game of Thrones.”
18. “Come True”: The intriguingly freaky and clever sci-fi horror thriller centers a troubled teen (Julia Sarah Stone) who dreams of disturbing dreamscapes at night and enlists in a sleep-disorder study where the darkness of her subconscious arrives in reality.
17. “Quo Vadis, Aida?”: A UN translator (Jasna Đuričić) fights for her family’s safety while dealing with inept Dutch officials and ruthless Serbs rounding up Muslims in the excellent and harrowing Oscar-nominated Bosnian war drama.
16. “Night of the Kings”: A jailed pickpocket (Bakary Koné, center) is forced to become a storyteller in a prison run by its inmates in director Philippe Lacôte’s absorbing drama, which pays tribute to the oral tradition of the tale-spinning West African griots.
15. “The Boy Behind the Door”: Lonnie Chavis (“This Is Us”) stars as young boy who has to rescue his best pal Ezra Dewey) when they’re kidnapped and taken to a strange house in the country in an excellent survival chiller with a cool twist.
14, “The Mitchells vs. the Machines”: The Mitchell family – Katie (from left, voiced by Abbi Jacobson), Linda (Maya Rudolph), Rick (Danny McBride) and Aaron (director Mike Rianda) – team up with some screwed-up robots in the joyful animated comedy.
13. “Pig”: Nicolas Cage gives a wonderfully soulful – and unusually un-Cage – performance as an Oregon truffle hunter whose beloved porcine best friend is stolen in Michael Sarnoski’s intriguingly quirky, somewhat bittersweet and surprisingly tender drama
12. “Judas and the Black Messiah”: Daniel Kaluuya (center) plays influential Black Panther leader Fred Hampton in director Shaka King’s timely period drama, which functions as political thriller and historical vehicle.
11. “Nine Days”: In writer/director Edson Oda’s deep and thoughtful existential fantasy, Will (Winston Duke, left) interviews and tests Kane (Bill Skarsgård) and a bunch of other souls to see if they’re fit to be born on Earth.
10. “Cruella”: Emma Stone gamely plays Disney villainess Cruella De Vil as a young London designer in 1970s punk-rock London who tussles with a chic and ruthless fashion icon in an intriguing, colorful exploration of nature vs. nurture.
9. “Riders of Justice”: Mads Mikkelsen (far right) is a soldier who comes home to take care of his daughter (Andrea Heick Gadeberg) and exacts vengeance on the street gang responsible for his wife’s death in the brutal and heartwarming Danish action-comedy thriller.
8. “The Suicide Squad”: Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian, from left), Peacemaker (John Cena), Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) are the newcomers to Task Force X in James Gunn’s bloody and absurdly delightful bad-guys-save-the-world movie.
7. “The Sparks Brothers”: Edgar Wright’s rock doc chronicles the five-decade career of Sparks, how the art-pop band was huge overseas but never in America, and what keeps brothers Russell (left) and Ron Mael passionate and still together today.
6. “The Vigil”: A Jewish New Yorker (Dave Davis) of lapsed faith takes an all-night job that turns into a battle for his soul thanks to the arrival of a demonic dybbuk in a chiller that scares up serious religious mythos and haunting historical connections.
5. “Together Together”: A 45-year-old bachelor (Ed Helms) unlucky in love but who badly wants children, hires a 20-something barista (Patti Harrison) to be his surrogate in Nikole Beckwith’s feel-good pregnancy dramedy.
4. “Summer of Soul”: Sly and the Family Stone perform at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival in the splendid new documentary, directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and featuring a slew of never-before-seen performances from the event.
3. “I Care a Lot”: Rosamund Pike plays a conniving conservator who bilks aging clients out of their money in the dark crime satire, a genre-exploding effort that’s awash in ethical quandaries and severely lacking in good guys.
2. “The Green Knight”: Headstrong young man Gawain (Dev Patel, left) wields the sword of his uncle, King Arthur (Sean Harris), and sets out on an epic quest in director David Lowery’s dazzling dark fantasy.
1. “The Father”: Anthony Hopkins stars as an elderly London man with dementia trying to make sense of his constantly shifting reality in writer/director Florian Zeller’s immersive character study and exceptional drama.
26/26 SLIDES
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 15 must-see documentaries this summer, including Val Kilmer, ‘Pray Away’ and ‘The Lost Leonardo’
