| Rank
| Release
| Genre
| Budget
| Running Time
| Gross | Max Theaters | Total Gross | % of Total | Release Date | Distributor
|
|---|
| 1 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master | - | - | - | $16,383,367 | 1,767 | $49,369,899 | 33.2% | Aug 19, 1988 | New Line Cinema |
| 2 | A Fish Called Wanda | - | - | - | $15,434,478 | 1,223 | $62,493,712 | 24.7% | Jul 15, 1988 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 3 | Betrayed | - | - | - | $14,477,373 | 1,101 | $25,816,139 | 56.1% | Aug 26, 1988 | United Artists |
| 4 | Die Hard | - | - | - | $14,296,578 | 1,713 | $83,008,852 | 17.2% | Jul 15, 1988 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 5 | Cocktail | - | - | - | $12,335,793 | 1,462 | $78,222,753 | 15.8% | Jul 29, 1988 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 6 | Young Guns | - | - | - | $12,228,443 | 1,416 | $45,661,556 | 26.8% | Aug 12, 1988 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 7 | Who Framed Roger Rabbit | - | - | - | $11,815,077 | 1,598 | $156,452,370 | 7.6% | Jun 24, 1988 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 8 | Married to the Mob | - | - | - | $9,154,077 | 828 | $21,486,757 | 42.6% | Aug 19, 1988 | Orion Pictures |
| 9 | Moon Over Parador | - | - | - | $8,114,436 | 1,145 | $11,444,204 | 70.9% | Sep 9, 1988 | Universal Pictures |
| 10 | Tucker: The Man and His Dream | - | - | - | $7,950,727 | 720 | $19,652,638 | 40.5% | Aug 12, 1988 | Paramount Pictures |
| 11 | Big | - | - | - | $7,212,408 | 1,419 | $114,968,774 | 6.3% | Jun 3, 1988 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 12 | Coming to America | - | - | - | $7,056,974 | 2,064 | $128,152,301 | 5.5% | Jun 29, 1988 | Paramount Pictures |
| 13 | Midnight Run | - | - | - | $6,524,490 | 1,161 | $38,413,606 | 17% | Jul 22, 1988 | Universal Pictures |
| 14 | Stealing Home | - | - | - | $4,494,672 | 985 | $7,467,504 | 60.2% | Aug 26, 1988 | Warner Bros. |
| 15 | Hot to Trot | - | - | - | $3,668,280 | 1,157 | $6,436,211 | 57% | Aug 26, 1988 | Warner Bros. |
| 16 | The Last Temptation of Christ | - | - | - | $3,541,008 | 123 | $8,373,585 | 42.3% | Aug 12, 1988 | Universal Pictures |
| 17 | Hero and the Terror | - | - | - | $3,102,291 | 995 | $5,301,200 | 58.5% | Aug 26, 1988 | Cannon Film Distributors |
| 18 | Messenger of Death | - | - | - | $3,074,681 | 450 | $3,074,681 | 100% | Sep 16, 1988 | Cannon Film Distributors |
| 19 | Eight Men Out | - | - | - | $2,685,558 | 349 | $5,680,515 | 47.3% | Sep 2, 1988 | Orion Pictures |
| 20 | Crossing Delancey | - | - | - | $2,440,191 | 303 | $16,262,415 | 15% | Aug 26, 1988 | Warner Bros. |
| 21 | A Handful of Dust | - | - | - | $1,504,492 | 29 | $1,560,700 | 96.4% | Jun 24, 1988 | New Line Cinema |
| 22 | Dead Ringers | - | - | - | $1,479,240 | 1,048 | $8,038,508 | 18.4% | Sep 23, 1988 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 23 | Pascali's Island | - | - | - | $1,410,331 | 55 | $1,451,857 | 97.1% | Jul 22, 1988 | Avenue Pictures Productions |
| 24 | The Thin Blue Line | - | - | - | $1,178,901 | 23 | $1,209,846 | 97.4% | Aug 26, 1988 | Miramax |
| 25 | Tougher Than Leather | - | - | - | $873,473 | 130 | $3,582,760 | 24.4% | Sep 16, 1988 | New Line Cinema |
| 26 | Kansas | - | - | - | $739,482 | 847 | $2,432,536 | 30.4% | Sep 23, 1988 | Trans World Entertainment (TWE) |
| 27 | Running on Empty | - | - | - | $712,930 | 238 | $2,835,116 | 25.1% | Sep 9, 1988 | Warner Bros. |
| 28 | Sweet Hearts Dance | - | - | - | $616,677 | 246 | $3,790,493 | 16.3% | Sep 23, 1988 | TriStar Pictures |
| 29 | Patty Hearst | - | - | - | $346,644 | 460 | $1,223,326 | 28.3% | Sep 23, 1988 | Atlantic Releasing Corporation |
| 30 | The Deceivers | - | - | - | $346,297 | 68 | $346,297 | 100% | Sep 2, 1988 | Cinecom Pictures |
| 31 | Spellbinder | - | - | - | $281,760 | 326 | $657,446 | 42.9% | Sep 23, 1988 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 32 | Gorillas in the Mist | - | - | - | $230,604 | 1,085 | $24,720,479 | 0.9% | Sep 23, 1988 | Universal Pictures |
| 33 | Miles from Home | - | - | - | $188,964 | 32 | $188,964 | 100% | Sep 16, 1988 | Cinecom Pictures |
| 34 | Rocket Gibraltar | - | - | - | $187,349 | 5 | $187,349 | 100% | Sep 2, 1988 | Columbia Pictures |
| 35 | Seven Hours to Judgment | - | - | - | $177,820 | 73 | $177,820 | 100% | Sep 16, 1988 | Trans World Entertainment (TWE) |
| 36 | Track 29 | - | - | - | $52,328 | 13 | $429,028 | 12.2% | Sep 9, 1988 | Island Pictures |
| 37 | Some Girls | - | - | - | $17,430 | 23 | $401,421 | 4.3% | Sep 9, 1988 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 38 | The Prince of Pennsylvania | - | - | - | $5,415 | 1 | $5,415 | 100% | Sep 16, 1988 | New Line Cinema |
| 39 | The Year My Voice Broke | - | - | - | $1,313 | 20 | $213,901 | 0.6% | Aug 25, 1988 | Avenue Pictures Productions |
