| Rank | Release
| Genre
| Budget
| Running Time
| Gross | Max Th | Opening | % of Total
| Open Th | Open | Close | Distributor
| Estimated
|
|---|
| 1 | Gorillas in the Mist | - | - | - | $24,720,479 | 1,085 | $366,925 | 1.5% | 15 | Sep 23 | - | Universal Pictures | false |
| 2 | Punchline | - | - | - | $21,042,667 | 917 | $160,742 | 0.8% | 4 | Sep 30 | - | Columbia Pictures | false |
| 3 | Moon Over Parador | - | - | - | $11,444,204 | 1,145 | $3,268,975 | 28.6% | 1,145 | Sep 9 | - | Universal Pictures | false |
| 4 | Dead Ringers | - | - | - | $8,038,508 | 1,048 | $3,012,180 | 37.5% | 1,042 | Sep 23 | - | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 5 | Eight Men Out | - | - | - | $5,680,515 | 349 | $1,129,491 | 19.9% | 147 | Sep 2 | - | Orion Pictures | false |
| 6 | Elvira: Mistress of the Dark | - | - | - | $5,596,267 | 627 | $1,660,041 | 29.7% | 627 | Sep 30 | - | New World Pictures | false |
| 7 | Heartbreak Hotel | - | - | - | $5,509,417 | 1,414 | $2,063,546 | 37.5% | 1,338 | Sep 30 | - | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | false |
| 8 | Memories of Me | - | - | - | $3,965,604 | 723 | $1,388,123 | 35% | 723 | Sep 30 | - | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) | false |
| 9 | Sweet Hearts Dance | - | - | - | $3,790,493 | 246 | $1,116,902 | 29.5% | 246 | Sep 23 | - | TriStar Pictures | false |
| 10 | Tougher Than Leather | - | - | - | $3,582,760 | 130 | $748,193 | 20.9% | 130 | Sep 16 | - | New Line Cinema | false |
| 11 | Messenger of Death | - | - | - | $3,074,681 | 450 | $1,035,279 | 33.7% | 450 | Sep 16 | - | Cannon Film Distributors | false |
| 12 | Running on Empty | - | - | - | $2,835,116 | 238 | $215,157 | 7.6% | 22 | Sep 9 | - | Warner Bros. | false |
| 13 | Kansas | - | - | - | $2,432,536 | 847 | $1,274,742 | 52.4% | 847 | Sep 23 | Oct 6 | Trans World Entertainment (TWE) | false |
| 14 | Bird | - | - | - | $2,181,286 | 93 | $27,116 | 1.2% | 1 | Sep 30 | Feb 23 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 15 | Patty Hearst | - | - | - | $1,223,326 | 460 | $601,680 | 49.2% | 460 | Sep 23 | Nov 17 | Atlantic Releasing Corporation | false |
| 16 | Spellbinder | - | - | - | $657,446 | 326 | $657,446 | 100% | 326 | Sep 23 | - | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) | false |
| 17 | Track 29 | - | - | - | $429,028 | 13 | $19,304 | 4.5% | 2 | Sep 9 | - | Island Pictures | false |
| 18 | Tiger Warsaw | - | - | - | $422,667 | - | - | - | - | Sep 23 | - | Sony Pictures Releasing | false |
| 19 | Some Girls | - | - | - | $401,421 | 23 | $11,704 | 2.9% | 2 | Sep 9 | - | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) | false |
| 20 | The Deceivers | - | - | - | $346,297 | 68 | $18,245 | 5.3% | 1 | Sep 2 | Oct 13 | Cinecom Pictures | false |
| 21 | Miles from Home | - | - | - | $188,964 | 32 | $72,872 | 38.6% | 32 | Sep 16 | - | Cinecom Pictures | false |
| 22 | Rocket Gibraltar | - | - | - | $187,349 | 5 | $60,523 | 32.3% | 5 | Sep 2 | - | Columbia Pictures | false |
| 23 | Seven Hours to Judgment | - | - | - | $177,820 | 73 | $66,352 | 37.3% | 73 | Sep 16 | - | Trans World Entertainment (TWE) | false |
| 24 | The Beast of War | - | - | - | $161,004 | - | - | - | - | Sep 16 | - | Columbia Pictures | false |
| 25 | Doin' Time on Planet Earth | - | - | - | $29,576 | - | - | - | - | Sep 16 | - | Cannon Film Distributors | false |
| 26 | The Prince of Pennsylvania | - | - | - | $5,415 | 1 | $3,174 | 58.6% | 1 | Sep 16 | - | New Line Cinema | false |
| 27 | After School | - | - | - | $3,967 | - | - | - | - | Sep 23 | Sep 29 | Moviestore Entertainment | false |
