The 57th National Board of Review Awards were announced on December 16, 1985, and given on January 27, 1986.

1. The Color Purple
2. Out of Africa *Academy Award for Best Picture*
3. The Trip to Bountiful
4. Witness
5. Kiss of the Spider Woman
6. Prizzi's Honor
7. Back to the Future
8. The Shooting Party
9. Blood Simple
10. Dreamchild

1. Ran
2. The Official Story
3. When Father Was Away on Business
4. La Chèvre
5. The Home and the World

• Best Picture:
  • The Color Purple
• Best Foreign Language Film:
  • Ran
• Best Actor:
  • Raúl Juliá and William Hurt - Kiss of the Spider Woman
• Best Actress:
  • Whoopi Goldberg - The Color Purple
• Best Supporting Actor:
  • Klaus Maria Brandauer - Out of Africa
• Best Supporting Actress:
  • Anjelica Huston - Prizzi's Honor
• Best Director:
  • Akira Kurosawa - Ran
• Career Achievement Award:
  • Orson Welles

• National Board of Review of Motion Pictures :: Awards for 1985