1985-1986 is a coming-of-age story about a 12-year-old boy named Erol who begins attending a new middle school in a rough neighborhood. His new environment is different from the safety of the suburbs he has always known. Erol ends up falling in with a bad crowd and is introduced to a world of smoking, alcohol, drugs and punk rock. Ultimately, Erol realizes that the best person he can be is himself.