Aliens (1986)

Aliens (1986)

[10] Writer/director James Cameron accomplishes a rare feat with a sequel that doesn't shame the original and succeeds on its own merits. Aliens is so different in tone than the original Alien, I think of it as a sequel only in name…
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

[6] Kurt Russell stars as a cocky truck driver who gets embroiled in a mystical adventure beneath San Francisco's Chinatown in this cartoonish action-comedy from director John Carpenter (Starman, The Thing). When the fiancée of a friend (Dennis Dun) is kidnapped by…
The Name of the Rose (1986)

The Name of the Rose (1986)

[7] Sean Connery and Christian Slater star in this 14th century murder mystery set at a remote monastery in Northern Italy. There for an upcoming conference, the two discover a young monk recently died under mysterious circumstances. Connery leads Slater, his young…
The Fly (1986)

The Fly (1986)

[9] Jeff Goldblum (Silverado, The Big Chill) plays an inventor who creates teleportation pods that can molecularly deconstruct matter from one location and reconstitute it in another. After he uses himself as a test subject, he's elated by the strength and confidence…
Raw Deal (1986)

Raw Deal (1986)

[6] The star power of Arnold Schwarzenegger elevates this standard, direct-to-video-style 80s action flick from the low end of mediocrity. Arnold plays a small town sheriff enticed by an FBI agent (Darren McGavin) to infiltrate a powerful Chicago mafia. Once he earns…
The Mission (1986)

The Mission (1986)

[8] Robert DeNiro and Jeremy Irons star in this historical drama from director Roland Joffé (The Killing Fields, City of Joy) and screenwriter Robert Bolt (Lawrence of Arabia, A Man for All Seasons). Irons plays Father Gabriel, a Spanish Jesuit priest who…
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

[7] Michael Rooker (Slither, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) gives a chilling performance in this gritty, 16mm film based loosely on the confessions of convicted murderer Henry Lee Lucas. As Henry, Rooker lives in a dingy apartment with a roommate named…
Platoon (1986)

Platoon (1986)

[8] Oliver Stone's Platoon was one of the first major motion pictures to deal with the Vietnam war. Charlie Sheen stars as an infantry volunteer who finds himself in a moral quandry, torn between two sergeants of differing philosophies. Tom Berenger and…
Highlander (1986)

Highlander (1986)

[8] Christopher Lambert (Greystoke) stars as Connor MacLeod, a 460-year old Scottish highlander who runs a New York City antique shop in the 1980s. He's a member of a rare breed of immortals who are destined to war with each other until…
Top Gun (1986)

Top Gun (1986)

[7] Tom Cruise shot to superstardom at just twenty-four years of age with Top Gun, a hyper-stylized action/drama about Naval fighter pilots jockeying for top position at an elite academy in San Diego. Cruise plays the skilled but cocky Maverick (characters go…