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Bryce Marrero
Guest
(Photo by Columbia / Courtesy Everett Collection. Critters)
The Best 1986 Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer
The latest: The cult classic Critters celebrates its 40th anniversary!
It’s 1986. The Challenger has exploded, Chernobyl has become a radiated wasteland, and an earthquake in El Salvador has claimed the lives of thousands. People needed to escape into the movies, and they had plenty of phenomenal choices to take their mind off of the tragedies that surrounded them.
Chief among these escapist flicks was Tony Scott’s Top Gun, which ruled the box-office with its machismo adrenaline and high-octane action. And if Top Gun had one too many volleyball serves, audiences could instead flock to the theater to laugh at Paul Hogan’s Australian antics in Crocodile Dundee, ditch school to go on adventures with Matthew Broderick in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, or get grossed out by Jeff Goldblum’s metamorphosis into a monster in David Cronenberg’s The Fly.
1986 was also the year of great sequels. James Cameron took over for Ridley Scott to make Aliens, directing Sigourney Weaver to an Academy Award nomination. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home became a huge hit for the Star Trek franchise, finishing up a story thread that started in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. And Ralph Macchio returned to kick some more butt in The Karate Kid Part II, this time in Okinawa.
At the Oscars, Oliver Stone’s Platoon took home four Academy Awards, including Best Picture (Stone also directed Salvador, which was nominated for two Academy Awards). Paul Newman finally got his long overdue Best Actor Academy Award for Martin Scorsese’s The Color of Money, and Marlee Matlin became the first hearing impaired actor to win an Academy Award when she won for Children of a Lesser God.
It was a great year for the movies, and we’re ranking all of the hits by Tomatometer. Check out the list below to see where your favorites landed! — Bryce Marrero
#1
Mona Lisa
Critics Consensus: Bob Hoskins is outstanding in Mona Lisa, giving this stylish neo-noir a riveting centerpiece that sets it apart from similar stories.
Starring: Bob Hoskins, Cathy Tyson, Michael Caine, Robbie Coltrane
Directed By: Neil Jordan
#2
Aliens
Critics Consensus: While Alien was a marvel of slow-building, atmospheric tension, Aliens packs a much more visceral punch, and features a typically strong performance from Sigourney Weaver.
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser
Directed By: James Cameron
#3
The Fly
Critics Consensus: David Cronenberg combines his trademark affinity for gore and horror with strongly developed characters, making The Fly a surprisingly affecting tragedy.
Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz, Joy Boushel
Directed By: David Cronenberg
#4
Ruthless People
Critics Consensus: It’s sometimes crude and tasteless, but Ruthless People wrings acid-soaked laughs out of its dark premise and gleefully misanthropic characters.
Starring: Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold, Helen Slater
Directed By: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
#5
Hannah and Her Sisters
Critics Consensus: Smart, tender, and funny in equal measure, Hannah and Her Sisters is one of Woody Allen’s finest films.
Starring: Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Michael Caine, Carrie Fisher
Directed By: Woody Allen
#6
Something Wild
Critics Consensus: Boasting loads of quirky charm, a pair of likable leads, and confident direction from Jonathan Demme, Something Wild navigates its unpredictable tonal twists with room to spare.
Starring: Jeff Daniels, Melanie Griffith, Ray Liotta, Margaret Colin
Directed By: Jonathan Demme
#7
Blue Velvet
Critics Consensus: If audiences walk away from this subversive, surreal shocker not fully understanding the story, they might also walk away with a deeper perception of the potential of film storytelling.
Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern
Directed By: David Lynch
#8
Little Shop of Horrors
Critics Consensus: Remixing Roger Corman’s B-movie by way of the Off-Broadway musical, Little Shop of Horrors offers camp, horror and catchy tunes in equal measure — plus some inspired cameos by the likes of Steve Martin and Bill Murray.
Starring: Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Steve Martin, Vincent Gardenia
Directed By: Frank Oz
#9
Manhunter
Critics Consensus: Michael Mann introduces audiences to Hannibal Lecter for the first time in Manhunter, a modish thriller that fleshes out Thomas Harris’ heinous creations with an elegant, chilling detachment.
Starring: William Petersen, Kim Greist, Dennis Farina, Joan Allen
Directed By: Michael Mann
#10
Hoosiers
Critics Consensus: It may adhere to the sports underdog formula, but Hoosiers has been made with such loving craft, and features such excellent performances, that it’s hard to resist.
Starring: Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Hopper, Sheb Wooley
Directed By: David Anspaugh
#11
Platoon
Critics Consensus: Informed by director Oliver Stone’s personal experiences in Vietnam, Platoon forgoes easy sermonizing in favor of a harrowing, ground-level view of war, bolstered by no-holds-barred performances from Charlie Sheen and Willem Dafoe.
Starring: Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Forest Whitaker
Directed By: Oliver Stone
#12
Sid & Nancy
Critics Consensus: Visceral, energetic, and often very sad, Sid and Nancy is also a surprisingly touching love story, and Gary Oldman is outstanding as the late punk rock icon Sid Vicious.
Starring: Gary Oldman, Chloe Webb, David Hayman, Andrew Schofield
Directed By: Alex Cox
#13
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Critics Consensus: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is an effective, chilling profile of a killer that is sure to shock and disturb.
Starring: Michael Rooker, Tracy Arnold, Tom Towles, Anne Bartoletti
Directed By: John McNaughton
#14
Stand by Me
Critics Consensus: Stand by Me is a wise, nostalgic movie with a weird streak that captures both Stephen King’s voice and the trials of growing up.
Starring: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell
Directed By: Rob Reiner
#15
The Sacrifice
Critics Consensus: Formally impressive, visually accomplished, and narratively rewarding, The Sacrifice places a fittingly solid capstone on a brilliant filmmaking career.
Starring: Erland Josephson, Allan Edwall, Susan Fleetwood, Valérie Mairesse
Directed By: Andrei Tarkovsky
#16
The Color of Money
Critics Consensus: That it’s inferior to the original goes without saying, but Paul Newman and Tom Cruise are a joy to watch, and Martin Scorsese’s direction is typically superb.
Starring: Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Helen Shaver
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
#17
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Critics Consensus: Matthew Broderick charms in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, a light and irrepressibly fun movie about being young and having fun.
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey
Directed By: John Hughes
#18
Back to School
Critics Consensus: Back to School gives Rodney Dangerfield plenty of room to riff — and supports the freewheeling funnyman with enough of a story to keep things interesting between punchlines.
Starring: Rodney Dangerfield, Sally Kellerman, Keith Gordon, Burt Young
Directed By: Alan Metter
#19
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Critics Consensus: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is perhaps the lightest and most purely enjoyable entry of the long-running series, emphasizing the eccentricities of the Enterprise’s crew.
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Catherine Hicks, DeForest Kelley
Directed By: Leonard Nimoy
#20
An American Tail
Critics Consensus: Exquisitely animated, An American Tail is a sweet, melancholy, immigrants story.
Directed By: Don Bluth
#21
Pretty in Pink
Critics Consensus: Molly Ringwald gives an outstanding performance in this sweet, intelligent teen comedy that takes an ancient premise and injects it with insight and wit.
Starring: Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer, Andrew McCarthy, Annie Potts
Directed By: Howard Deutch
#22
Big Trouble in Little China
Critics Consensus: Brimming with energy and packed with humor, Big Trouble in Little China distills kung fu B-movies as affectionately as it subverts them.
Starring: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong
Directed By: John Carpenter
#23
A Room With a View
Critics Consensus: The hard edges of E.M. Foster novel maybe sanded off, but what we get with A Room with a View is an eminently entertaining comedy with an intellectual approach to love.
Starring: Helena Bonham Carter, Maggie Smith, Julian Sands, Denholm Elliott
Directed By: James Ivory
#24
Round Midnight
Critics Consensus: Brought brilliantly to life by Dexter Gordon’s outstanding performance, Round Midnight is the rare jazz-inflected drama that matches the power of the music.
Starring: Dexter Gordon, François Cluzet, Gabrielle Haker, Sandra Reaves-Phillips
Directed By: Bertrand Tavernier
#25
Castle in the Sky
Critics Consensus: With a storytelling palette as rich and brilliant as its animation, Castle in the Sky thrillingly encapsulates Studio Ghibli’s unique strengths.
Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki
#26
Mala Noche
Critics Consensus: Mala Noche is a raw and gritty portrait of desire, doomed romance, and rejection — and marks debuting director Gus Van Sant as a filmmaker with a gratifyingly personal touch.
Starring: Tim Streeter, Doug Cooeyate, Ray Monge
Directed By: Gus Van Sant
#27
A Better Tomorrow
Starring: Ti Lung, Chow Yun-Fat, Leslie Cheung, Emily Chu
Directed By: John Woo
#28
She's Gotta Have It
Critics Consensus: With She’s Gotta Have It, Spike Lee delivered his bracing first shot across Hollywood’s bow — and set the template for the groundbreaking act to follow.
Starring: Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell, Spike Lee
Directed By: Spike Lee
#29
The Green Ray
Starring: Marie Rivière, Amira Chemakhi, Lisa Heredia, Basile Gervaise
Directed By: Éric Rohmer
#30
Jean de Florette
Starring: Yves Montand, Gérard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil, Elisabeth Depardieu
Directed By: Claude Berri
#31
Matador
Critics Consensus: Intertwining murder and seduction, Pedro Almodóvar’s Matador is a provocative thriller that will shock even the most adventurous moviegoers.
Starring: Assumpta Serna, Antonio Banderas, Nacho Martínez, Eva Cobo
Directed By: Pedro Almodóvar
#32
Working Girls
Starring: Louise Smith, Amanda Goodwin, Ellen McElduff, Marusia Zach
Directed By: Lizzie Borden
#33
Castaway
Starring: Oliver Reed, Amanda Donohoe, Georgina Hale, Frances Barber
Directed By: Nicolas Roeg
#34
Salvador
Critics Consensus: Despite its somewhat disjointed narrative, Oliver Stone’s Salvador is a vivid and powerful political drama that sets an early tone for the director’s similarly provocative future projects.
Starring: James Woods, Jim Belushi, Michael Murphy, John Savage
Directed By: Oliver Stone
#35
Crocodile Dundee
Critics Consensus: Infectiously easygoing charm and a leading man in the role he was born to play help Crocodile Dundee make the most of its familiar fish-out-of-water premise.
Starring: Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, Mark Blum, John Meillon
Directed By: Peter Faiman
#36
Down by Law
Critics Consensus: Funny, original, and thoroughly cinematic, Down by Law represents writer-director Jim Jarmusch at his most ingratiating and evocative.
Starring: Tom Waits, John Lurie, Roberto Benigni, Ellen Barkin
Directed By: Jim Jarmusch
#37
Peggy Sue Got Married
Critics Consensus: Peggy Sue Got Married may seem just another in a line of ’80s boomer nostalgia films, but none of the others have Kathleen Turner keen lead performance.
Starring: Kathleen Turner, Nicolas Cage, Kevin J. O'Connor, Barry Miller
Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola
#38
F/X
Critics Consensus: Smart, twisty, and perfectly cast, the effects-assisted neo-noir F/X reminds viewers that a well-told story is the most special effect of all.
Starring: Bryan Brown, Brian Dennehy, Diane Venora, Cliff DeYoung
Directed By: Robert Mandel
#39
At Close Range
Starring: Sean Penn, Christopher Walken, Mary Stuart Masterson, Chris Penn
Directed By: James Foley
#40
The Decline of the American Empire
Starring: Dominique Michel, Dorothée Berryman, Pierre Curzi, Rémy Girard
Directed By: Denys Arcand
#41
Flight of the Navigator
Critics Consensus: Bolstered by impressive special effects and a charming performance from its young star, Flight of the Navigator holds up as a solidly entertaining bit of family-friendly sci-fi.
Starring: Joey Cramer, Veronica Cartwright, Cliff DeYoung, Sarah Jessica Parker
Directed By: Randal Kleiser
#42
Crimes of the Heart
Starring: Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange, Sissy Spacek, Sam Shepard
Directed By: Bruce Beresford
#43
Caravaggio
Starring: Nigel Terry, Sean Bean, Michael Gough, Tilda Swinton
Directed By: Derek Jarman
#44
Children of a Lesser God
Critics Consensus: Children of a Lesser God transcends its transparently noble goals thanks to a pair of absorbing performances from William Hurt and Marlee Matlin.
Starring: William Hurt, Marlee Matlin, Piper Laurie, Philip Bosco
Directed By: Randa Haines
#45
Manon of the Spring
Starring: Yves Montand, Daniel Auteuil, Emmanuelle Béart, Hippolyte Girardot
Directed By: Claude Berri
#46
The Great Mouse Detective
Critics Consensus: The Great Mouse Detective may not rank with Disney’s classics, but it’s an amiable, entertaining picture with some stylishly dark visuals.
Directed By: John Musker, Ron Clements, David Michener, Burny Mattinson
#47
The Mosquito Coast
Critics Consensus: Harrison Ford capably tackles a tough, unlikable role, producing a fascinating and strange character study.
Starring: Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, River Phoenix, Jadrien Steele
Directed By: Peter Weir
#48
Betty Blue
Starring: Béatrice Dalle, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Consuelo De Haviland, Clémentine Célarié
Directed By: Jean-Jacques Beineix
#49
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Critics Consensus: An enjoyable farce that relocates Jean Renoir’s Boudu Saved From Drowning to ’80s California, offering fine comedic performances from Nick Nolte, Richard Dreyfuss and Bette Midler.
Starring: Nick Nolte, Richard Dreyfuss, Bette Midler, Little Richard
Directed By: Paul Mazursky
#50
True Stories
Critics Consensus: Its kitschy leanings may wear thin on some, but True Stories is a disarmingly big-hearted, dreamy vision of Americana.
Starring: David Byrne, Swoosie Kurtz, John Goodman, Annie McEnroe
Directed By: David Byrne
#51
Lucas
Starring: Corey Haim, Kerri Green, Charlie Sheen, Courtney Thorne-Smith
Directed By: David Seltzer
#52
Sweet Liberty
Starring: Alan Alda, Michael Caine, Michelle Pfeiffer, Bob Hoskins
Directed By: Alan Alda
#53
From Beyond
Critics Consensus: Though it sacrifices some depth in its characterizations, From Beyond stands as a stunningly grotesque Lovecraft adaptation with a dazzling blend of chilling effects and brainy, cosmic horror.
Starring: Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Ted Sorel, Ken Foree
Directed By: Stuart Gordon
#54
Night of the Creeps
Starring: Jason Lively, Steve Marshall, Jill Whitlow, Tom Atkins
Directed By: Fred Dekker
#55
Crossroads
Starring: Ralph Macchio, Joe Seneca, Jami Gertz, Joe Morton
Directed By: Walter Hill
#56
Absolute Beginners
Starring: Eddie O'Connell, Patsy Kensit-Healy, David Bowie, James Fox
Directed By: Julien Temple
#57
The Name of the Rose
Starring: Sean Connery, F. Murray Abraham, Elya Baskin, Christian Slater
Directed By: Jean-Jacques Annaud
#58
The Armour of God
Starring: Jackie Chan, Alan Tam, Rosamund Kwan, Lola Forner
Directed By: Jackie Chan
#59
Highlander
Critics Consensus: People hate Highlander because it’s cheesy, bombastic, and absurd. And people love it for the same reasons.
Starring: Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Roxanne Hart, Clancy Brown
Directed By: Russell Mulcahy
#60
About Last Night …
Critics Consensus: About Last Night will perturb fans of the original stage play by sanding down its pricklier edges, but an amiable cast and sexual frankness make this a pleasantly grounded romantic comedy.
Starring: Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Jim Belushi, Elizabeth Perkins
Directed By: Edward Zwick
#61
Heartbreak Ridge
Critics Consensus: With Heartbreak Ridge, director Clint Eastwood gets one of his best performances out of himself, even if the story struggles to engage.
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Marsha Mason, Everett McGill, Moses Gunn
Directed By: Clint Eastwood
#62
The Mission
Critics Consensus: The Mission is a well-meaning epic given delicate heft by its sumptuous visuals and a standout score by Ennio Morricone, but its staid presentation never stirs an emotional investment in its characters.
Starring: Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Ray McAnally, Liam Neeson
Directed By: Roland Joffé
#63
Running Scared
Critics Consensus: Running Scared struggles to strike a consistent balance between violent action and humor, but the chemistry between its well-matched leads keeps things entertaining.
Starring: Gregory Hines, Billy Crystal, Jimmy Smits, Steven Bauer
Directed By: Peter Hyams
#64
The Hitcher
Critics Consensus: Its journey is never quite as revelatory as it could be, but The Hitcher stands as a white-knuckle vision of horror, bolstered by Rutger Hauer’s menacing performance.
Starring: Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jeffrey DeMunn
Directed By: Robert Harmon
#65
Short Circuit
Critics Consensus: Amiable and good-natured but also shallow and predictable, Short Circuit is hardly as deep or emotionally resonant as E.T. — though Johnny Five makes for a charming robot protagonist.
Starring: Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenberg, Fisher Stevens, Austin Pendleton
Directed By: John Badham
#66
The Transformers: The Movie
Critics Consensus: A surprisingly dark, emotional, and almost excessively cynical experience for Transformers fans.
Directed By: Nelson Shin
#67
The Morning After
Starring: Jane Fonda, Jeff Bridges, Raul Julia, Diane Salinger
Directed By: Sidney Lumet
#68
Psycho III
Critics Consensus: While it can’t come close to the original’s elemental horror, Psycho III makes a persuasive — and blackly funny — case for itself as a sequel.
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey, Roberta Maxwell
Directed By: Anthony Perkins
#69
April Fool's Day
Critics Consensus: April Fool’s Day takes a decent stab at deconstructing the slasher genre, but an underwhelming story keeps it from really sinking in.
Starring: Deborah Foreman, Griffin O'Neal, Deborah Goodrich, Jay Baker
Directed By: Fred Walton
#70
That's Life!
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Julie Andrews, Sally Kellerman, Robert Loggia
Directed By: Blake Edwards
#71
Gothic
Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Julian Sands, Natasha Richardson, Myriam Cyr
Directed By: Ken Russell
#72
Top Gun
Critics Consensus: Though it features some of the most memorable and electrifying aerial footage shot with an expert eye for action, Top Gun offers too little for non-adolescent viewers to chew on when its characters aren’t in the air.
Starring: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer
Directed By: Tony Scott
#73
Nine 1/2 Weeks
Critics Consensus: 9 1/2 Weeks‘ famously steamy sex scenes titillate though the drama unfolding between the beddings is relatively standard for the genre.
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Kim Basinger, Margaret Whitton, David Margulies
Directed By: Adrian Lyne
#74
Chopping Mall
Starring: Kelli Maroney, Tony O'Dell, John Terlesky, Russell Todd
Directed By: Jim Wynorski
#75
Critters
Critics Consensus: While Critters ekes out some fun from a game cast and screwball tone, the titular monsters fail to deliver the credible menace that makes a creature feature satisfying.
Starring: Dee Wallace, M. Emmet Walsh, Terrence Mann, Billy Green Bush
Directed By: Stephen Herek
#76
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2
Critics Consensus: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 shocks with a gonzo blend of over-the-top humor and gore, but without the tense atmosphere of its predecessor, the stakes feel lower.
Starring: Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams, Bill Johnson, Jim Siedow
Directed By: Tobe Hooper
#77
Witchboard
Starring: Todd Allen, Tawny Kitaen, Stephen Nichols, Kathleen Wilhoite
Directed By: Kevin Tenney
#78
The Karate Kid Part II
Critics Consensus: Like countless sequels, The Karate Kid Part II tries upping the stakes without straying too far from formula — and suffers diminishing returns as a result.
Starring: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Martin Kove, Nobu McCarthy
Directed By: John G. Avildsen
#79
Three Amigos!
Critics Consensus: Three Amigos! stars a trio of gifted comedians and has an agreeably silly sense of humor, but they’re often adrift in a dawdling story with too few laugh-out-loud moments.
Starring: Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Patrice Martinez
Directed By: John Landis
#80
One Crazy Summer
Starring: John Cusack, Demi Moore, Joel Murray, Curtis Armstrong
Directed By: Savage Steve Holland
#81
Wildcats
Starring: Goldie Hawn, Nipsey Russell, Swoosie Kurtz, Robyn Lively
Directed By: Michael Ritchie
#82
Wise Guys
Starring: Danny DeVito, Joe Piscopo, Harvey Keitel, Ray Sharkey
Directed By: Brian De Palma
#83
Pirates
Starring: Walter Matthau, Cris Campion, Charlotte Lewis, Damien Thomas
Directed By: Roman Polanski
#84
The Golden Child
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Charles Dance, Charlotte Lewis, Victor Wong
Directed By: Michael Ritchie
#85
Cobra
Critics Consensus: A disengaged Sylvester Stallone plays the titular Cobra with no bite in this leaden action thriller, queasily fixated on wanton carnage and nothing else.
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Brigitte Nielsen, Reni Santoni, Andrew Robinson
Directed By: George P. Cosmatos
#86
The Delta Force
Starring: Chuck Norris, Lee Marvin, Hanna Schygulla, Martin Balsam
Directed By: Menahem Golan
#87
Maximum Overdrive
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington, Yeardley Smith
Directed By: Stephen King
#88
Haunted Honeymoon
Starring: Gene Wilder, Gilda Radner, Dom DeLuise, Jonathan Pryce
Directed By: Gene Wilder
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