#1 of 139 Best-rated film of 1986
92 Metascore $138.5M worldwide
Directed by Oliver Stone
Platoon earned $138.5M worldwide; the year's biggest hit, Top Gun, earned $357.3M.
About Platoon Best of 1986
Best Movies of 1986, Ranked
1,764 films on the site were released in 1986, and 139 have enough critic or audience ratings to be ranked. Platoon tops the list, ahead of Aliens and Hannah and Her Sisters. The biggest hit was Top Gun with $357.3M worldwide, and Platoon won Best Picture at the 1987 Oscars.
- films released in 1986
- 1,764
- ranked by rating
- 139
- worldwide, top 10 hits
- $1.5B
- award wins
- 54
#1 of 1986
What Is the Best Movie of 1986?
Platoon is the best-rated film of 1986, with a rank value of 85/100 from critics and audiences; Aliens is second with the same 85/100. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).
#1 of 139 Ranked
Top 25 Movies of 1986, Ranked
Aliens and Hannah and Her Sisters follow Platoon. Drama is the most common genre in the top 25 (16 films). Oliver Stone has 2 films on the list. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).
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2. Aliens 84 Metascore (Metascore 84 out of 100 (23 critic reviews))1986 · Action, Sci-Fi · 2h 17m
Dir. James Cameron No Echo Score: ranked 85/100 on critics & audiences
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3. Hannah and Her Sisters 90 Metascore (Metascore 90 out of 100 (12 critic reviews))1986 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 43m
No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences
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4. A Room with a View 83 Metascore (Metascore 83 out of 100 (21 critic reviews))1986 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 57m
Dir. James Ivory No Echo Score: ranked 82/100 on critics & audiences
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5. The Trip to Bountiful 81 Metascore (Metascore 81 out of 100)1986 · Drama · 1h 48m
No Echo Score: ranked 81/100 on critics & audiences
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6. The Fly 81 Metascore (Metascore 81 out of 100)1986 · Sci-Fi, Thriller · 1h 36m
Dir. David Cronenberg No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences
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7. Stand by Me 75 Metascore (Metascore 75 out of 100)1986 · Adventure, Drama · 1h 29m
No Echo Score: ranked 79/100 on critics & audiences
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8. Children of a Lesser God 80 Metascore (Metascore 80 out of 100 (13 critic reviews))1986 · Drama, Romance · 1h 59m
Dir. Randa Haines No Echo Score: ranked 78/100 on critics & audiences
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8. Trouble in Mind 78 Metascore (Metascore 78 out of 100)1986 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 51m
Dir. Alan Rudolph No Echo Score: ranked 78/100 on critics & audiences
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10. Mona Lisa 85 Metascore (Metascore 85 out of 100 (20 critic reviews))1986 · Drama, Romance · 1h 44m
Dir. Neil Jordan No Echo Score: ranked 78/100 on critics & audiences
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11. Blue Velvet 75 Metascore (Metascore 75 out of 100 (15 critic reviews))1986 · Drama, Mystery · 2h
Dir. David Lynch No Echo Score: ranked 77/100 on critics & audiences
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12. Ruthless People 78 Metascore (Metascore 78 out of 100)1986 · Comedy, Crime · 1h 33m
Dir. David Zucker No Echo Score: ranked 77/100 on critics & audiences
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13. Little Shop of Horrors 81 Metascore (Metascore 81 out of 100 (15 critic reviews))1986 · Sci-Fi, Horror · 1h 34m
Dir. Frank Oz No Echo Score: ranked 76/100 on critics & audiences
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14. Hoosiers 77 Metascore (Metascore 77 out of 100 (13 critic reviews))1986 · Drama, Sport · 1h 54m
Dir. David Anspaugh No Echo Score: ranked 75/100 on critics & audiences
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14. Down by Law 75 Metascore (Metascore 75 out of 100 (20 critic reviews))1986 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 47m
Dir. Jim Jarmusch No Echo Score: ranked 75/100 on critics & audiences
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16. Manhunter 75 Metascore (Metascore 75 out of 100 (22 critic reviews))1986 · Thriller, Crime · 1h 59m
Dir. Michael Mann No Echo Score: ranked 74/100 on critics & audiences
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17. The Color of Money 77 Metascore (Metascore 77 out of 100)1986 · Drama, Sport · 1h 59m
Dir. Martin Scorsese No Echo Score: ranked 74/100 on critics & audiences
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18. The Great Mouse Detective 73 Metascore (Metascore 73 out of 100)1986 · Adventure, Mystery · 1h 14m
Dir. John Musker No Echo Score: ranked 74/100 on critics & audiences
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19. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 71 Metascore (Metascore 71 out of 100)1986 · Adventure, Sci-Fi · 1h 59m
No Echo Score: ranked 74/100 on critics & audiences
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20. Desert Hearts 67 Metascore (Metascore 67 out of 100 (12 critic reviews))1986 · Drama, Romance · 1h 36m
Dir. Donna Deitch No Echo Score: ranked 72/100 on critics & audiences
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21. Sid and Nancy 76 Metascore (Metascore 76 out of 100)1986 · Biography, Drama · 1h 52m
No Echo Score: ranked 72/100 on critics & audiences
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22. Lucas 75 Metascore (Metascore 75 out of 100 (11 critic reviews))1986 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 40m
Dir. David Seltzer No Echo Score: ranked 72/100 on critics & audiences
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23. Ferris Bueller's Day Off 61 Metascore (Metascore 61 out of 100 (13 critic reviews))1986 · Comedy · 1h 43m
Dir. John Hughes No Echo Score: ranked 71/100 on critics & audiences
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23. Salvador 69 Metascore (Metascore 69 out of 100)1986 · Drama, History · 2h 2m
Dir. Oliver Stone No Echo Score: ranked 71/100 on critics & audiences
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23. She's Gotta Have It 79 Metascore (Metascore 79 out of 100)1986 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 24m
Dir. Spike Lee No Echo Score: ranked 71/100 on critics & audiences
Box office
What Were the Highest-Grossing Movies of 1986?
Top Gun earned $357.3M worldwide, ahead of Crocodile Dundee ($328.2M). The top 10 took $1.5B together; 218 films released in 1986 have a box office record here. Grosses that look like data errors are left out.
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#1 $357.3M worldwide Top Gun $180.3M domestic · Action -
#2 $328.2M worldwide Crocodile Dundee $174.8M domestic · Adventure - #3 $138.5M worldwide Platoon $138.5M domestic · Drama
- #4 $131.1M worldwide Aliens $85.2M domestic · Action
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#5 $115.1M worldwide The Karate Kid Part II $115.1M domestic · Action - #6 $109.7M worldwide Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home $109.7M domestic · Adventure
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#7 $93.2M worldwide Legal Eagles $49.9M domestic · Comedy -
#8 $91.3M worldwide Back to School $91.3M domestic · Sport -
#9 $84.5M worldwide An American Tail $47.5M domestic · Drama -
#10 $79.8M worldwide The Golden Child $79.8M domestic · Action
Awards
Which 1986 Movies Won the Most Awards?
Platoon leads with 11 wins from 21 nominations, then Aliens with 10 wins. Platoon won Best Picture at the 1987 Oscars. In all, 50 films released in 1986 have award nominations on the site, with 54 wins between them.
- Platoon 11 / 211986 · Drama, War · 11 wins from 21 nominations
- Aliens 10 / 221986 · Action, Sci-Fi · 10 wins from 22 nominations
- A Room with a View 8 / 261986 · Drama, Comedy · 8 wins from 26 nominations
- Hannah and Her Sisters 5 / 211986 · Drama, Comedy · 5 wins from 21 nominations
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The Mission 4 / 231986 · Adventure, Drama · 4 wins from 23 nominations - The Trip to Bountiful 3 / 71986 · Drama · 3 wins from 7 nominations
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The Name of the Rose 2 / 21986 · Drama, Mystery · 2 wins from 2 nominations -
1986 · Drama, Comedy · 2 wins from 2 nominations
By genre
What Is the Best 1986 Movie in Each Genre?
The highest-ranked 1986 film of 12 genres, from Drama (Platoon) to Animation (The Great Mouse Detective). Each film appears once, under its first genre that is still free.
- Platoon 92 Metascore
- Aliens 84 Metascore
- Hannah and Her Sisters 90 Metascore
- A Room with a View 83 Metascore
- The Fly 81 Metascore
- Stand by Me 75 Metascore
- Trouble in Mind 78 Metascore
- Mona Lisa 85 Metascore
- Blue Velvet 75 Metascore
- Little Shop of Horrors 81 Metascore
- Hoosiers 77 Metascore
- The Great Mouse Detective 73 Metascore
Release months
When Were 1986's Movies Released?
October was the busiest month of 1986 with 148 releases; its best-rated film is Children of a Lesser God. January shows 346 because films whose exact release day is unknown are stored on January 1.
- January Best: The Trip to Bountiful346
- February Best: Hannah and Her Sisters119
- March Best: Trouble in Mind137
- April Best: A Room with a View138
- May Best: Big Trouble127
- June Best: Mona Lisa106
- July Best: Aliens106
- August Best: The Fly120
- September Best: Blue Velvet137
- October Best: Children of a Lesser God148
- November Best: Hoosiers133
- December Best: Platoon147
- January (Best: The Trip to Bountiful): 346
- February (Best: Hannah and Her Sisters): 119
- March (Best: Trouble in Mind): 137
- April (Best: A Room with a View): 138
- May (Best: Big Trouble): 127
- June (Best: Mona Lisa): 106
- July (Best: Aliens): 106
- August (Best: The Fly): 120
- September (Best: Blue Velvet): 137
- October (Best: Children of a Lesser God): 148
- November (Best: Hoosiers): 133
- December (Best: Platoon): 147
Languages
Which Languages Were 1986's Movies In?
48% of 1986's films with a known language are in English (843). Japanese comes next with 133 films, out of 51 languages in all.
English 
Japanese 
French 
Spanish 
Italian 
Russian 
Cantonese 
Malayalam 
German 
Turkish 
Portuguese 
Swedish 
Arabic Every year
Best Movies by Year
A best-of page for each of 55 years, from 1900 to 2026 (so far). Before 1980 there is one page per decade, for its first year (1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970); from 1980 every year has its own.
2020s
2010s
2000s
1990s
FAQ
Best Movies of 1986: Questions & Answers
Quick answers about 1986's best-rated films, biggest hits and awards, from the lists above.
What is the best movie of 1986?
Platoon is the best-rated film of 1986 on What's After the Movie, with a rank value of 85/100 from critics and audiences. Aliens is second and Hannah and Her Sisters third. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).
About Platoon What was the highest-grossing movie of 1986?
Top Gun earned $357.3M worldwide, the most of any 1986 release on the site. Crocodile Dundee follows with $328.2M.
1986 box office Which 1986 movie won the Oscar for Best Picture?
Platoon (1986) won Best Picture at the 1987 Academy Awards.
Platoon Which 1986 film won the most awards?
Platoon has the best award record of the 1986 releases on the site: 11 wins from 21 nominations.
1987 awards season How many movies were released in 1986?
The site lists 1,764 films released in 1986. 139 of them are ranked, and October had the most releases with a known day (148).
How are the best movies of 1986 ranked?
Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases). Only feature films count (60 minutes or longer, no concert recordings), and a film needs enough ratings, box office or award attention to be ranked.