Welcome to an exciting year-long project here at The Nerdy. 1986 was an exciting year for films giving us a lot of films that would go on to be beloved favorites and cult classics. It was also the start to a major shift in cultural and societal norms, and some of those still reverberate to this day.
We’re going to pick and choose which movies we hit, but right now the list stands at nearly four dozen.
Yes, we’re insane, but 1986 was that great of a year for film.
The articles will come out – in most cases – on the same day the films hit theaters in 1986 so that it is their true 40th anniversary. All films are also watched again for the purposes of these reviews and are not being done from memory. In some cases, it truly will be the first time we’ve seen them.
This time around, it’s October 3, 1986, and we’re off to see Children of a Lesser God, Round Midnight, and Tough Guys.
Children of a Lesser God
Sometimes, the baggage of the behind-the-scenes stories do weigh down the film.
James Leeds (William Hurt) takes a job at a school for the hard of hearing and is immediately intrigued by the former student-turned-janitor Sarah (Marlee Matlin). He slowly works at trying to get the heart of what makes her so stand-offish and finds himself falling for her.
I enjoyed the movie, but Matlin’s claims about her real-life relationship with Hurt were hard to put out of mind as I watched it. You should be able to separate art from artist, but other times it just feels a bit too messy to do so.
Where to watch: Available to stream.
Round Midnight
I really dislike jazz.
Dale Turner (Dexter Gordon) is a saxophonist in the 1950s who heads to Paris for work. He is such a notorious alcoholic that he is locked in his room each night to keep him from drinking. He eventually meets Francis (François Cluzet), a graphic artist with a love for Jazz. They form a friendship and Dale finally comes to terms with his demons and tries to defeat them, but it seems it was already too late.
As I said up top, I really dislike Jazz. The story was good, the performances engaging, but I just could have done with a lot less jazz.
In general, it’s your standard story of a troubled musician, but it’s calm, and quiet storytelling really works for it.
Where to watch: Available to stream.
Tough Guys
This one was a pleasant surprise.
Harry Doyle (Burt Lancaster) and Archie Long (Kirk Douglas) get out of prison after 30 years for a train robbery they committed. What they find is not only a significantly changed world, but one that also has pre-judged them due to their history. They don’t quite fit into this world, and they need to find a way to make sure they do.
This film doesn’t break any new ground, but it was amusing enough, and Lancaster and Douglas really sold the parts. A fun afternoon watch, just don’t expect anything too deep.
Where to watch: Available to stream.
1986 Movie Reviews will continue on Oct. 10, 2026, with The Color of Money, Deadly Friend, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Peggy Sue Got Married, That’s Life!, and True Stories.
