| Rank
| Release
| Genre
| Budget
| Running Time
| Gross | Max Theaters | Total Gross | % of Total | Release Date | Distributor
|
|---|
| 1 | Crocodile Dundee | - | - | - | $95,643,452 | 1,495 | $174,803,506 | 54.7% | Sep 26, 1986 | Paramount Pictures |
| 2 | Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home | - | - | - | $48,561,447 | 1,956 | $109,713,132 | 44.3% | Nov 26, 1986 | Paramount Pictures |
| 3 | The Color of Money | - | - | - | $42,923,372 | 1,205 | $52,293,982 | 82.1% | Oct 17, 1986 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 4 | Peggy Sue Got Married | - | - | - | $37,848,832 | 1,107 | $41,382,841 | 91.5% | Oct 10, 1986 | TriStar Pictures |
| 5 | Jumpin' Jack Flash | - | - | - | $29,844,101 | 1,085 | $29,844,101 | 100% | Oct 10, 1986 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 6 | Top Gun | - | - | - | $29,428,031 | 1,531 | $176,781,728 | 16.6% | May 16, 1986 | Paramount Pictures |
| 7 | Soul Man | - | - | - | $26,605,815 | 1,320 | $27,820,000 | 95.6% | Oct 24, 1986 | New World Pictures |
| 8 | An American Tail | - | - | - | $24,359,958 | 1,249 | $47,483,002 | 51.3% | Nov 21, 1986 | Universal Pictures |
| 9 | Tough Guys | - | - | - | $21,458,229 | 1,266 | $21,458,229 | 100% | Oct 3, 1986 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 10 | Children of a Lesser God | - | - | - | $20,225,105 | 544 | $31,853,080 | 63.5% | Oct 3, 1986 | Paramount Pictures |
| 11 | Stand by Me | - | - | - | $19,845,371 | 848 | $52,287,414 | 38% | Aug 8, 1986 | Columbia Pictures |
| 12 | Heartbreak Ridge | - | - | - | $17,427,436 | 1,647 | $42,724,017 | 40.8% | Dec 5, 1986 | Warner Bros. |
| 13 | Song of the South 1986 Re-release | - | - | - | $15,495,830 | 1,529 | $17,659,346 | 87.7% | Nov 21, 1986 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 14 | The Golden Child | - | - | - | $15,364,969 | 1,714 | $79,817,937 | 19.3% | Dec 12, 1986 | Paramount Pictures |
| 15 | Firewalker | - | - | - | $11,949,484 | 1,120 | $11,949,484 | 100% | Nov 21, 1986 | Cannon Film Distributors |
| 16 | Aliens | - | - | - | $9,997,605 | 1,454 | $85,160,248 | 11.7% | Jul 18, 1986 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 17 | Deadly Friend | - | - | - | $8,988,731 | 1,213 | $8,988,731 | 100% | Oct 10, 1986 | Warner Bros. |
| 18 | Something Wild | - | - | - | $8,362,969 | 916 | $8,362,969 | 100% | Nov 7, 1986 | Orion Pictures |
| 19 | The Fly | - | - | - | $7,868,833 | 1,201 | $40,456,565 | 19.5% | Aug 15, 1986 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 20 | Three Amigos! | - | - | - | $7,606,245 | 1,466 | $39,246,734 | 19.4% | Dec 12, 1986 | Orion Pictures |
| 21 | The Karate Kid Part II | - | - | - | $7,219,869 | 1,610 | $115,103,979 | 6.3% | Jun 20, 1986 | Columbia Pictures |
| 22 | Trick or Treat | - | - | - | $6,797,218 | 1,267 | $6,797,218 | 100% | Oct 24, 1986 | De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG) |
| 23 | Blue Velvet | - | - | - | $6,782,302 | 188 | $8,551,228 | 79.3% | Sep 19, 1986 | De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG) |
| 24 | The Name of the Rose | - | - | - | $6,648,472 | 176 | $7,153,487 | 92.9% | Sep 26, 1986 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 25 | 52 Pick-Up | - | - | - | $5,186,646 | 730 | $5,186,646 | 100% | Nov 7, 1986 | Cannon Film Distributors |
| 26 | Back to School | - | - | - | $4,714,974 | 1,751 | $91,258,000 | 5.2% | Jun 13, 1986 | Orion Pictures |
| 27 | The Boy Who Could Fly | - | - | - | $4,133,436 | 664 | $7,177,431 | 57.6% | Aug 15, 1986 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 28 | Tai-Pan | - | - | - | $4,007,250 | 860 | $4,007,250 | 100% | Nov 7, 1986 | De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG) |
| 29 | Ferris Bueller's Day Off | - | - | - | $3,897,565 | 1,330 | $70,136,369 | 5.6% | Jun 11, 1986 | Paramount Pictures |
| 30 | Ruthless People | - | - | - | $3,672,360 | 1,114 | $71,624,879 | 5.1% | Jun 27, 1986 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 31 | The Wraith | - | - | - | $3,500,000 | 588 | $3,500,000 | 100% | Nov 21, 1986 | New Century |
| 32 | 'Round Midnight | - | - | - | $3,272,593 | 50 | $3,272,593 | 100% | Oct 3, 1986 | Warner Bros. |
| 33 | That's Life! | - | - | - | $3,272,241 | 700 | $4,079,895 | 80.2% | Sep 26, 1986 | Columbia Pictures |
| 34 | Deadtime Stories | - | - | - | $2,750,741 | 255 | $2,750,741 | 100% | Nov 28, 1986 | Palisades Pictures |
| 35 | Playing for Keeps | - | - | - | $2,669,366 | 1,148 | $2,669,366 | 100% | Oct 3, 1986 | Universal Pictures |
| 36 | Nothing in Common | - | - | - | $2,629,332 | 980 | $32,324,557 | 8.1% | Aug 1, 1986 | TriStar Pictures |
| 37 | Streets of Gold | - | - | - | $2,546,238 | 797 | $2,546,238 | 100% | Nov 14, 1986 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 38 | Sky Bandits | - | - | - | $2,295,500 | 1,335 | $2,295,500 | 100% | Oct 31, 1986 | Galaxy International Releasing |
| 39 | Crimes of the Heart | - | - | - | $1,974,880 | 685 | $22,905,522 | 8.6% | Dec 12, 1986 | De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG) |
| 40 | Quiet Cool | - | - | - | $1,900,000 | 470 | $1,900,000 | 100% | Nov 7, 1986 | New Line Cinema |
| 41 | Link | - | - | - | $1,720,450 | 435 | $1,720,450 | 100% | Oct 3, 1986 | Cannon Film Distributors |
| 42 | Solarbabies | - | - | - | $1,579,260 | 692 | $1,579,260 | 100% | Nov 26, 1986 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 43 | Clockwise | - | - | - | $1,476,356 | 38 | $1,476,356 | 100% | Oct 10, 1986 | Universal Pictures |
| 44 | The Mission | - | - | - | $1,344,657 | 730 | $17,218,023 | 7.8% | Oct 31, 1986 | Warner Bros. |
| 45 | From Beyond | - | - | - | $1,261,000 | 190 | $1,261,000 | 100% | Oct 24, 1986 | Empire Pictures |
| 46 | Hoosiers | - | - | - | $1,137,230 | 1,048 | $28,607,524 | 4% | Nov 14, 1986 | Orion Pictures |
| 47 | Nutcracker | - | - | - | $781,727 | 597 | $781,727 | 100% | Nov 26, 1986 | Atlantic Releasing Corporation |
| 48 | Nobody's Fool | - | - | - | $563,358 | 290 | $563,358 | 100% | Nov 7, 1986 | Island Pictures |
| 49 | The Mosquito Coast | - | - | - | $403,422 | 451 | $14,302,779 | 2.8% | Nov 26, 1986 | Warner Bros. |
| 50 | 'night, Mother | - | - | - | $367,322 | 35 | $441,863 | 83.1% | Sep 12, 1986 | Universal Pictures |
| 51 | Shanghai Surprise | - | - | - | $366,779 | 401 | $2,315,683 | 15.8% | Aug 29, 1986 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 52 | Weekend Warriors | - | - | - | $298,223 | 75 | $351,623 | 84.8% | Aug 29, 1986 | Moviestore Entertainment |
| 53 | Every Time We Say Goodbye | - | - | - | $278,623 | 63 | $278,623 | 100% | Nov 14, 1986 | TriStar Pictures |
| 54 | Willy/Milly | - | - | - | $277,405 | 182 | $277,405 | 100% | Nov 14, 1986 | Palisades Pictures |
| 55 | The Gospel According to Vic | - | - | - | $267,249 | 11 | $267,249 | 100% | Oct 17, 1986 | Skouras Pictures |
| 56 | Sid and Nancy | - | - | - | $75,604 | 43 | $2,826,523 | 2.7% | Oct 17, 1986 | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 57 | Betty Blue | - | - | - | $48,972 | 20 | $2,003,822 | 2.4% | Nov 7, 1986 | Alive Films |
| 58 | Defense of the Realm | - | - | - | $27,770 | 15 | $750,000 | 3.7% | Nov 21, 1986 | Hemdale |
| 59 | Marlene | - | - | - | $21,262 | 6 | $852,676 | 2.5% | Nov 7, 1986 | Alive Films |
