| Rank
| Release
| Genre
| Budget
| Running Time
| Gross | Max Theaters | Total Gross | % of Total | Release Date | Distributor
|
|---|
| 1 | The Money Pit | - | - | - | $22,769,800 | 1,193 | $37,499,651 | 60.7% | Mar 28, 1986 | Universal Pictures |
| 2 | Police Academy 3: Back in Training | - | - | - | $20,977,610 | 1,788 | $43,579,163 | 48.1% | Mar 21, 1986 | Warner Bros. |
| 3 | Gung Ho | - | - | - | $13,193,390 | 1,175 | $36,611,610 | 36% | Mar 14, 1986 | Paramount Pictures |
| 4 | Out of Africa | - | - | - | $12,940,030 | 1,102 | $87,071,205 | 14.9% | Dec 20, 1985 | Universal Pictures |
| 5 | Legend | - | - | - | $11,038,657 | 1,187 | $15,502,112 | 71.2% | Apr 18, 1986 | Universal Pictures |
| 6 | The Color Purple | - | - | - | $10,420,095 | 1,109 | $94,175,854 | 11.1% | Dec 20, 1985 | Warner Bros. |
| 7 | Pretty in Pink | - | - | - | $9,905,140 | 1,117 | $40,471,663 | 24.5% | Feb 28, 1986 | Paramount Pictures |
| 8 | April Fool's Day | - | - | - | $9,841,825 | 1,202 | $12,947,763 | 76% | Mar 28, 1986 | Paramount Pictures |
| 9 | Sleeping Beauty 1986 Re-release | - | - | - | $8,387,913 | 1,159 | $15,120,195 | 55.5% | Mar 7, 1986 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 10 | Murphy's Law | - | - | - | $8,372,304 | 1,260 | $9,947,631 | 84.2% | Apr 18, 1986 | Cannon Film Distributors |
| 11 | Lucas | - | - | - | $7,128,947 | 629 | $8,200,000 | 86.9% | Mar 28, 1986 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 12 | Hannah and Her Sisters | - | - | - | $6,926,694 | 761 | $35,392,203 | 19.6% | Feb 7, 1986 | Orion Pictures |
| 13 | Critters | - | - | - | $6,598,045 | 633 | $13,167,232 | 50.1% | Apr 11, 1986 | New Line Cinema |
| 14 | Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling | - | - | - | $5,510,184 | 1,203 | $18,034,150 | 30.6% | May 2, 1986 | Columbia Pictures |
| 15 | Down and Out in Beverly Hills | - | - | - | $5,388,244 | 1,084 | $62,134,225 | 8.7% | Jan 31, 1986 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 16 | Band of the Hand | - | - | - | $4,865,912 | 930 | $4,865,912 | 100% | Apr 11, 1986 | TriStar Pictures |
| 17 | Off Beat | - | - | - | $4,842,778 | 1,127 | $4,842,778 | 100% | Apr 11, 1986 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 18 | Violets Are Blue... | - | - | - | $3,421,718 | 654 | $4,743,287 | 72.1% | Apr 11, 1986 | Columbia Pictures |
| 19 | Wise Guys | - | - | - | $3,365,618 | 424 | $8,475,466 | 39.7% | Apr 18, 1986 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 20 | Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation | - | - | - | $3,196,005 | 1,476 | $8,540,346 | 37.4% | Mar 7, 1986 | Columbia Pictures |
| 21 | Blue City | - | - | - | $3,016,980 | 1,050 | $6,947,787 | 43.4% | May 2, 1986 | Paramount Pictures |
| 22 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge | - | - | - | $2,992,099 | 614 | $29,999,213 | 10% | Nov 1, 1985 | New Line Cinema |
| 23 | P.O.W. the Escape | - | - | - | $2,497,233 | 476 | $2,497,233 | 100% | Apr 4, 1986 | Cannon Film Distributors |
| 24 | 8 Million Ways to Die | - | - | - | $1,305,114 | 215 | $1,305,114 | 100% | Apr 25, 1986 | TriStar Pictures |
| 25 | Water | - | - | - | $1,256,862 | 248 | $1,256,862 | 100% | Apr 18, 1986 | Atlantic Releasing Corporation |
| 26 | Absolute Beginners | - | - | - | $930,211 | 4 | $930,211 | 100% | Apr 18, 1986 | Orion Pictures |
| 27 | Ginger & Fred | - | - | - | $817,745 | 1 | $837,623 | 97.6% | Mar 28, 1986 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 28 | No Retreat, No Surrender | - | - | - | $791,922 | 371 | $4,662,137 | 17% | May 2, 1986 | New World Pictures |
| 29 | At Close Range | - | - | - | $255,704 | 83 | $2,347,000 | 10.9% | Apr 18, 1986 | Orion Pictures |
| 30 | Three Men and a Cradle | - | - | - | $39,594 | 32 | $2,052,466 | 1.9% | Apr 25, 1986 | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 31 | Desert Bloom | - | - | - | $36,361 | 15 | $416,393 | 8.7% | Apr 18, 1986 | Columbia Pictures |
| 32 | Crimewave | - | - | - | $5,101 | 7 | $5,101 | 100% | Apr 25, 1986 | Columbia Pictures |
