| Rank | Release
| Genre
| Budget
| Running Time
| Gross | Max Th | Opening | % of Total
| Open Th | Open | Close | Distributor
| Estimated
|
|---|
| 1 | Crocodile Dundee | - | - | - | $174,803,506 | 1,495 | $8,038,855 | 4.6% | 879 | Sep 26 | - | Paramount Pictures | false |
| 2 | The Color of Money | - | - | - | $52,293,982 | 1,205 | $6,357,877 | 12.2% | 635 | Oct 17 | - | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | false |
| 3 | Peggy Sue Got Married | - | - | - | $41,382,841 | 1,107 | $6,942,408 | 16.8% | 865 | Oct 10 | - | TriStar Pictures | false |
| 4 | Children of a Lesser God | - | - | - | $31,853,080 | 544 | $1,909,084 | 6% | 215 | Oct 3 | - | Paramount Pictures | false |
| 5 | Jumpin' Jack Flash | - | - | - | $29,844,101 | 1,085 | $6,006,610 | 20.1% | 1,080 | Oct 10 | - | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 6 | Soul Man | - | - | - | $27,820,000 | 1,320 | $4,422,179 | 15.9% | 1,282 | Oct 24 | - | New World Pictures | false |
| 7 | Tough Guys | - | - | - | $21,458,229 | 1,266 | $4,565,342 | 21.3% | 856 | Oct 3 | - | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | false |
| 8 | The Mission | - | - | - | $17,218,023 | 730 | $40,366 | 0.2% | 1 | Oct 31 | Apr 16 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 9 | Deadly Friend | - | - | - | $8,988,731 | 1,213 | $3,804,429 | 42.3% | 1,213 | Oct 10 | - | Warner Bros. | false |
| 10 | Blue Velvet | - | - | - | $8,551,228 | 188 | $789,409 | 9.2% | 98 | Sep 19 | - | De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG) | false |
| 11 | The Name of the Rose | - | - | - | $7,153,487 | 176 | $494,571 | 6.9% | 42 | Sep 26 | - | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 12 | Trick or Treat | - | - | - | $6,797,218 | 1,267 | $2,912,687 | 42.9% | 1,267 | Oct 24 | - | De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG) | false |
| 13 | Avenging Force | - | - | - | $4,679,650 | 500 | $1,131,502 | 24.2% | 500 | Sep 12 | - | Cannon Film Distributors | false |
| 14 | That's Life! | - | - | - | $4,079,895 | 700 | - | - | - | Sep 26 | - | Columbia Pictures | false |
| 15 | 'Round Midnight | - | - | - | $3,272,593 | 50 | $25,384 | 0.8% | 1 | Oct 3 | Apr 16 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 16 | Sid and Nancy | - | - | - | $2,826,523 | 43 | $50,829 | 1.8% | 2 | Oct 17 | - | The Samuel Goldwyn Company | false |
| 17 | Playing for Keeps | - | - | - | $2,669,366 | 1,148 | $1,406,300 | 52.7% | 1,148 | Oct 3 | - | Universal Pictures | false |
| 18 | The Men's Club | - | - | - | $2,556,361 | 532 | $1,146,992 | 44.9% | 532 | Sep 19 | - | Atlantic Releasing Corporation | false |
| 19 | True Stories | - | - | - | $2,545,142 | - | - | - | - | Oct 10 | Feb 19 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 20 | Sky Bandits | - | - | - | $2,295,500 | 1,335 | $1,468,500 | 64% | 1,335 | Oct 31 | - | Galaxy International Releasing | false |
| 21 | Link | - | - | - | $1,720,450 | 435 | $660,874 | 38.4% | 435 | Oct 3 | - | Cannon Film Distributors | false |
| 22 | Clockwise | - | - | - | $1,476,356 | 38 | $156,066 | 10.6% | 22 | Oct 10 | - | Universal Pictures | false |
| 23 | Down by Law | - | - | - | $1,435,668 | - | - | - | - | Sep 20 | - | Island Pictures | false |
| 24 | From Beyond | - | - | - | $1,261,000 | 190 | $514,417 | 40.8% | 190 | Oct 24 | - | Empire Pictures | false |
| 25 | Half Moon Street | - | - | - | $1,131,399 | - | - | - | - | Sep 26 | - | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 26 | Where the River Runs Black | - | - | - | $676,166 | - | - | - | - | Sep 19 | - | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) | false |
| 27 | The Assault | - | - | - | $512,403 | 25 | - | - | - | Sep 19 | - | Cannon Film Distributors | false |
| 28 | 'night, Mother | - | - | - | $441,863 | 35 | $49,164 | 11.1% | 3 | Sep 12 | - | Universal Pictures | false |
| 29 | The Gospel According to Vic | - | - | - | $267,249 | 11 | $10,680 | 4% | 5 | Oct 17 | Apr 23 | Skouras Pictures | false |
| 30 | Radioactive Dreams | - | - | - | $220,038 | 90 | $141,055 | 64.1% | 90 | Sep 19 | Oct 2 | De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG) | false |
| 31 | Let's Get Harry | - | - | - | $140,980 | - | - | - | - | Oct 31 | - | TriStar Pictures | false |
| 32 | Hardbodies 2 | - | - | - | $78,068 | 46 | $78,068 | 100% | 46 | Sep 12 | Sep 18 | Cinetel | false |
