| Rank
| Release
| Genre
| Budget
| Running Time
| Gross | Max Theaters | Total Gross | % of Total | Release Date | Distributor
|
|---|
| 1 | A Fish Called Wanda | - | - | - | $23,786,925 | 1,223 | $62,493,712 | 38.1% | Jul 15, 1988 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 2 | Die Hard | - | - | - | $23,700,828 | 1,713 | $83,008,852 | 28.6% | Jul 15, 1988 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 3 | Cocktail | - | - | - | $22,309,947 | 1,462 | $78,222,753 | 28.5% | Jul 29, 1988 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 4 | Alien Nation | - | - | - | $21,443,885 | 1,436 | $25,216,243 | 85% | Oct 7, 1988 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 5 | Gorillas in the Mist | - | - | - | $18,932,277 | 1,085 | $24,720,479 | 76.6% | Sep 23, 1988 | Universal Pictures |
| 6 | Young Guns | - | - | - | $18,023,851 | 1,416 | $45,661,556 | 39.5% | Aug 12, 1988 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 7 | Big | - | - | - | $17,967,437 | 1,419 | $114,968,774 | 15.6% | Jun 3, 1988 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 8 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master | - | - | - | $17,354,639 | 1,767 | $49,369,899 | 35.2% | Aug 19, 1988 | New Line Cinema |
| 9 | Punchline | - | - | - | $16,641,908 | 917 | $21,042,667 | 79.1% | Sep 30, 1988 | Columbia Pictures |
| 10 | The Accused | - | - | - | $16,328,323 | 930 | $32,078,318 | 50.9% | Oct 14, 1988 | Paramount Pictures |
| 11 | Crossing Delancey | - | - | - | $15,801,421 | 303 | $16,262,415 | 97.2% | Aug 26, 1988 | Warner Bros. |
| 12 | Who Framed Roger Rabbit | - | - | - | $15,608,169 | 1,598 | $156,452,370 | 10% | Jun 24, 1988 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 13 | Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers | - | - | - | $15,089,462 | 1,692 | $17,768,757 | 84.9% | Oct 21, 1988 | Galaxy International Releasing |
| 14 | Betrayed | - | - | - | $14,425,839 | 1,101 | $25,816,139 | 55.9% | Aug 26, 1988 | United Artists |
| 15 | Coming to America | - | - | - | $11,537,542 | 2,064 | $128,152,301 | 9% | Jun 29, 1988 | Paramount Pictures |
| 16 | Moon Over Parador | - | - | - | $11,444,204 | 1,145 | $11,444,204 | 100% | Sep 9, 1988 | Universal Pictures |
| 17 | Married to the Mob | - | - | - | $10,530,684 | 828 | $21,486,757 | 49% | Aug 19, 1988 | Orion Pictures |
| 18 | Dead Ringers | - | - | - | $8,038,508 | 1,048 | $8,038,508 | 100% | Sep 23, 1988 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 19 | Tucker: The Man and His Dream | - | - | - | $6,049,522 | 720 | $19,652,638 | 30.8% | Aug 12, 1988 | Paramount Pictures |
| 20 | Elvira: Mistress of the Dark | - | - | - | $5,596,267 | 627 | $5,596,267 | 100% | Sep 30, 1988 | New World Pictures |
| 21 | Heartbreak Hotel | - | - | - | $5,509,417 | 1,414 | $5,509,417 | 100% | Sep 30, 1988 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 22 | Clara's Heart | - | - | - | $5,194,491 | 315 | $5,194,491 | 100% | Oct 7, 1988 | Warner Bros. |
| 23 | Midnight Run | - | - | - | $5,041,528 | 1,161 | $38,413,606 | 13.1% | Jul 22, 1988 | Universal Pictures |
| 24 | Eight Men Out | - | - | - | $4,933,939 | 349 | $5,680,515 | 86.9% | Sep 2, 1988 | Orion Pictures |
| 25 | The Last Temptation of Christ | - | - | - | $4,562,058 | 123 | $8,373,585 | 54.5% | Aug 12, 1988 | Universal Pictures |
| 26 | Bat*21 | - | - | - | $3,966,256 | 516 | $3,966,256 | 100% | Oct 21, 1988 | TriStar Pictures |
| 27 | Mystic Pizza | - | - | - | $3,874,221 | 440 | $12,793,213 | 30.3% | Oct 21, 1988 | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 28 | Sweet Hearts Dance | - | - | - | $3,790,493 | 246 | $3,790,493 | 100% | Sep 23, 1988 | TriStar Pictures |
| 29 | Imagine: John Lennon | - | - | - | $3,753,977 | 561 | $3,753,977 | 100% | Oct 7, 1988 | Warner Bros. |
| 30 | Memories of Me | - | - | - | $3,583,303 | 723 | $3,965,604 | 90.4% | Sep 30, 1988 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 31 | Tougher Than Leather | - | - | - | $3,582,760 | 130 | $3,582,760 | 100% | Sep 16, 1988 | New Line Cinema |
| 32 | Things Change | - | - | - | $3,527,886 | 99 | $3,527,886 | 100% | Oct 21, 1988 | Columbia Pictures |
| 33 | Pumpkinhead | - | - | - | $3,385,516 | 353 | $3,385,516 | 100% | Oct 14, 1988 | United Artists |
| 34 | Without a Clue | - | - | - | $3,089,055 | 491 | $8,539,181 | 36.2% | Oct 21, 1988 | Orion Pictures |
| 35 | Messenger of Death | - | - | - | $3,074,681 | 450 | $3,074,681 | 100% | Sep 16, 1988 | Cannon Film Distributors |
| 36 | Running on Empty | - | - | - | $2,835,116 | 238 | $2,835,116 | 100% | Sep 9, 1988 | Warner Bros. |
| 37 | Stealing Home | - | - | - | $2,578,844 | 985 | $7,467,504 | 34.5% | Aug 26, 1988 | Warner Bros. |
| 38 | Kansas | - | - | - | $2,432,536 | 847 | $2,432,536 | 100% | Sep 23, 1988 | Trans World Entertainment (TWE) |
| 39 | A World Apart | - | - | - | $2,291,025 | 42 | $2,326,860 | 98.5% | Jun 17, 1988 | Atlantic Releasing Corporation |
| 40 | Feds | - | - | - | $2,242,143 | 850 | $3,838,793 | 58.4% | Oct 28, 1988 | Warner Bros. |
| 41 | Hot to Trot | - | - | - | $1,999,841 | 1,157 | $6,436,211 | 31.1% | Aug 26, 1988 | Warner Bros. |
| 42 | Hero and the Terror | - | - | - | $1,841,985 | 995 | $5,301,200 | 34.7% | Aug 26, 1988 | Cannon Film Distributors |
| 43 | They Live | - | - | - | $1,776,228 | 1,463 | $13,447,978 | 13.2% | Nov 4, 1988 | Universal Pictures |
| 44 | A Handful of Dust | - | - | - | $1,504,492 | 29 | $1,560,700 | 96.4% | Jun 24, 1988 | New Line Cinema |
| 45 | Pascali's Island | - | - | - | $1,410,331 | 55 | $1,451,857 | 97.1% | Jul 22, 1988 | Avenue Pictures Productions |
| 46 | U2: Rattle and Hum | - | - | - | $1,409,860 | 1,391 | $8,600,823 | 16.4% | Nov 4, 1988 | Paramount Pictures |
| 47 | Everybody's All-American | - | - | - | $1,262,080 | 1,123 | $12,638,294 | 10% | Nov 4, 1988 | Warner Bros. |
| 48 | Patty Hearst | - | - | - | $1,223,326 | 460 | $1,223,326 | 100% | Sep 23, 1988 | Atlantic Releasing Corporation |
| 49 | Mr. North | - | - | - | $1,164,822 | 29 | $1,221,366 | 95.4% | Jul 22, 1988 | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 50 | The Thin Blue Line | - | - | - | $1,117,100 | 23 | $1,209,846 | 92.3% | Aug 26, 1988 | Miramax |
| 51 | The Good Mother | - | - | - | $682,282 | 670 | $4,764,606 | 14.3% | Nov 4, 1988 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 52 | Spellbinder | - | - | - | $657,446 | 326 | $657,446 | 100% | Sep 23, 1988 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 53 | Track 29 | - | - | - | $429,028 | 13 | $429,028 | 100% | Sep 9, 1988 | Island Pictures |
| 54 | Tapeheads | - | - | - | $343,786 | 138 | $343,786 | 100% | Oct 21, 1988 | Avenue Pictures Productions |
| 55 | The Deceivers | - | - | - | $333,184 | 68 | $346,297 | 96.2% | Sep 2, 1988 | Cinecom Pictures |
| 56 | Madame Sousatzka | - | - | - | $251,083 | 123 | $3,548,238 | 7.1% | Oct 14, 1988 | Universal Pictures |
| 57 | The Year My Voice Broke | - | - | - | $203,548 | 20 | $213,901 | 95.2% | Aug 25, 1988 | Avenue Pictures Productions |
| 58 | Miles from Home | - | - | - | $188,964 | 32 | $188,964 | 100% | Sep 16, 1988 | Cinecom Pictures |
| 59 | Seven Hours to Judgment | - | - | - | $177,820 | 73 | $177,820 | 100% | Sep 16, 1988 | Trans World Entertainment (TWE) |
| 60 | Rocket Gibraltar | - | - | - | $146,803 | 5 | $187,349 | 78.4% | Sep 2, 1988 | Columbia Pictures |
| 61 | Another Woman | - | - | - | $115,962 | 24 | $1,562,749 | 7.4% | Oct 14, 1988 | Orion Pictures |
| 62 | Salaam Bombay! | - | - | - | $44,672 | 27 | $2,080,046 | 2.1% | Oct 7, 1988 | Cinecom Pictures |
| 63 | Bird | - | - | - | $42,800 | 93 | $2,181,286 | 2% | Sep 30, 1988 | Warner Bros. |
| 64 | The Lair of the White Worm | - | - | - | $33,762 | 32 | $1,189,315 | 2.8% | Oct 21, 1988 | Vestron Pictures |
| 65 | Some Girls | - | - | - | $17,430 | 23 | $401,421 | 4.3% | Sep 9, 1988 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 66 | The Prince of Pennsylvania | - | - | - | $5,415 | 1 | $5,415 | 100% | Sep 16, 1988 | New Line Cinema |
