| Rank | Release
| Genre
| Budget
| Running Time
| Gross | Theaters | Total Gross | Release Date | Distributor
| Estimated
|
|---|
| 1 | Rocky IV | - | - | - | $94,451,881 | 2,254 | $127,873,716 | Nov 27 | United Artists | false |
| 2 | Spies Like Us | - | - | - | $38,789,981 | 1,700 | $60,088,980 | Dec 6 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 3 | The Jewel of the Nile | - | - | - | $33,896,868 | 1,490 | $75,973,200 | Dec 13 | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 4 | White Nights | - | - | - | $26,033,083 | 1,064 | $42,160,849 | Nov 22 | Columbia Pictures | false |
| 5 | Santa Claus | - | - | - | $23,302,633 | 1,585 | $23,717,291 | Nov 27 | TriStar Pictures | false |
| 6 | Jagged Edge | - | - | - | $21,163,095 | 1,139 | $40,491,165 | Oct 4 | Columbia Pictures | false |
| 7 | Back to the Future | - | - | - | $20,909,660 | 1,550 | $211,850,472 | Jul 3 | Universal Pictures | false |
| 8 | Out of Africa | - | - | - | $20,324,901 | 1,102 | $87,071,205 | Dec 20 | Universal Pictures | false |
| 9 | To Live and Die in L.A. | - | - | - | $17,307,019 | 1,135 | $17,307,019 | Nov 1 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) | false |
| 10 | Death Wish 3 | - | - | - | $16,116,878 | 1,460 | $16,116,878 | Nov 1 | Cannon Film Distributors | false |
| 11 | King Solomon's Mines | - | - | - | $15,057,465 | 1,122 | $15,057,465 | Nov 22 | Cannon Film Distributors | false |
| 12 | One Magic Christmas | - | - | - | $13,677,222 | 827 | $13,677,222 | Nov 22 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | false |
| 13 | Young Sherlock Holmes | - | - | - | $13,311,236 | 1,502 | $19,739,575 | Dec 6 | Paramount Pictures | false |
| 14 | One Hundred and One Dalmatians 1985 Re-release | - | - | - | $12,743,816 | 1,185 | $33,049,729 | Dec 20 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | false |
| 15 | The Color Purple | - | - | - | $10,478,859 | 1,109 | $94,175,854 | Dec 20 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 16 | Once Bitten | - | - | - | $9,713,605 | 1,095 | $10,000,000 | Nov 15 | The Samuel Goldwyn Company | false |
| 17 | Clue | - | - | - | $9,491,382 | 1,022 | $14,643,997 | Dec 13 | Paramount Pictures | false |
| 18 | Target | - | - | - | $9,023,199 | 1,085 | $9,023,199 | Nov 8 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 19 | That Was Then... This Is Now | - | - | - | $8,630,068 | 800 | $8,630,068 | Nov 8 | Paramount Pictures | false |
| 20 | Commando | - | - | - | $7,816,570 | 1,504 | $35,100,000 | Oct 4 | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 21 | A Chorus Line | - | - | - | $7,807,982 | 680 | $14,202,899 | Dec 13 | Columbia Pictures | false |
| 22 | The Trip to Bountiful | - | - | - | $7,491,903 | 1 | $7,491,903 | Dec 20 | Island Pictures | false |
| 23 | Krush Groove | - | - | - | $7,466,845 | 519 | $11,052,713 | Oct 25 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 24 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge | - | - | - | $7,267,189 | 614 | $29,999,213 | Nov 1 | New Line Cinema | false |
| 25 | Transylvania 6-5000 | - | - | - | $7,196,872 | 701 | $7,196,872 | Nov 8 | New World Pictures | false |
| 26 | Enemy Mine | - | - | - | $6,725,788 | 713 | $12,303,411 | Dec 20 | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 27 | Agnes of God | - | - | - | $6,205,268 | 646 | $25,627,836 | Sep 13 | Columbia Pictures | false |
| 28 | The Journey of Natty Gann | - | - | - | $5,276,781 | 362 | $9,708,373 | Sep 27 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | false |
| 29 | Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer | - | - | - | $4,889,971 | 1,090 | $4,889,971 | Nov 15 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 30 | Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins | - | - | - | $4,760,531 | 1,175 | $14,393,902 | Oct 11 | Orion Pictures | false |
| 31 | Better Off Dead | - | - | - | $3,395,752 | 650 | $10,297,601 | Aug 23 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 32 | Starchaser: The Legend of Orin | - | - | - | $3,192,992 | 1,020 | $3,360,800 | Nov 22 | Atlantic Releasing Corporation | false |
| 33 | After Hours | - | - | - | $3,063,842 | 503 | $10,609,321 | Sep 13 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 34 | Sweet Dreams | - | - | - | $2,762,307 | 778 | $9,085,049 | Oct 4 | TriStar Pictures | false |
| 35 | Bad Medicine | - | - | - | $2,685,453 | 731 | $2,685,453 | Nov 22 | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 36 | Silver Bullet | - | - | - | $2,410,843 | 1,285 | $12,361,866 | Oct 11 | Paramount Pictures | false |
| 37 | Bring on the Night | - | - | - | $1,890,571 | 409 | $1,890,571 | Nov 8 | The Samuel Goldwyn Company | false |
| 38 | Plenty | - | - | - | $1,570,599 | 228 | $6,148,000 | Sep 19 | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 39 | Re-Animator | - | - | - | $471,033 | 185 | $2,023,414 | Oct 18 | Empire Pictures | false |
| 40 | Subway | - | - | - | $390,659 | 5 | $390,659 | Nov 6 | Island Alive | false |
| 41 | Eleni | - | - | - | $305,102 | 4 | $305,102 | Nov 1 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 42 | Revolution | - | - | - | $133,256 | 30 | $358,574 | Dec 25 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 43 | Murphy's Romance | - | - | - | $121,769 | 1,046 | $30,867,525 | Dec 27 | Columbia Pictures | false |
| 44 | Brazil | - | - | - | $86,918 | 173 | $9,929,135 | Dec 18 | Universal Pictures | false |
| 45 | Fool for Love | - | - | - | $81,095 | 57 | $836,156 | Dec 6 | Cannon Film Distributors | false |
| 46 | The Official Story | - | - | - | $29,426 | 1 | $29,426 | Nov 8 | Almi Pictures | false |
| 47 | Trouble in Mind | - | - | - | $19,632 | 1 | $19,632 | Dec 11 | Alive Films | false |
| 48 | Smooth Talk | - | - | - | $16,785 | 2 | $16,785 | Nov 15 | - | false |
