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 17, 1986, and we’re off to see Ratboy.
Ratboy
What if King Kong, but way smaller?
Nikki Morrison (Sondra Locke) is a former window dresser who is always looking for her big break. When she hears that two men came across a mysterious “Ratboy,” she sees it as her chance to make a name for herself. She finds him, befriends him, and immediately sets about exploiting him for personal gain.
The film is truly a mess, except for the excellent makeup work on Ratboy (Sharon Baird). It was Locke’s directorial debut, and she made some odd choices that didn’t seem to fit the tone of the film in the least.
Completely forgettable, and, frankly, unpleasant to watch.
Where to watch: Available to stream.
1986 Movie Reviews will continue on Oct. 24, 2026, with Soul Man and Trick or Treat.
