“Keep the change ya’ filthy animal.”
“Look what you did, you little jerk!”
“I made my family disappear!”
Everyone knows these lines. They’re classic. They’re timeless.
As major fans of the Home Alone, we—Sophie and Ema—have decided to look at the movies for probably the thousandth time. Only this time, we are doing it with a critical eye.
For those with time to read our review, keep scrolling down!
However, for others who would like to watch or listen to our review, check out the video below!
Home Alone is one of the most well-known and watched Christmas movies. It was originally produced by John Hughes in 1990 starring Macaulay Culkin as our favourite protagonist, Kevin.
Essentially, the plot features a large family who leaves on vacation without their child, Kevin. In a hectic attempt to leave the house on time to make a flight to Paris, they forget that he is in the attic and, in their rush to get to the airport, don’t realize they have left Kevin behind. Kevin later gets in trouble with crooks, Harry and Marv. In an attempt to stop his house from being robbed, Kevin sets booby traps as defense. All while he is HOME ALONE.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is rather similar in structure. Only this time, Kevin boards the wrong flight to Florida and is stuck HOME ALONE in New York, as the name suggests.
This is rather similar to the first movie in vibes and plot, only it offers a tiny difference and even more booby traps. It has an added element of “How is he going to get out of this one?” and of course, the iconic scenes and sights of New York as a bonus. As good as the first one.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Why Do People Love Home Alone?
We strongly believe that the comedy is priceless, spot-on, and original. It has a sense of strong nostalgia to it, and lots of funny elements.
Another reason these first two films are timeless classics, according to Journalism teacher Chuck Adams, is for their core message that “spending the holidays with one’s family, especially one’s mom, is what makes these holidays so special: home is when you’re with family.”
For example, note how in both films the tearjerker, climactic moment comes with Kevin’s reunification with his mom, played in both films by legendary comic actor, Catherine O’Hara, who sadly passed away in 2026. “For anyone who has spent a winter holiday far away from family members,” Adams notes, “this film hits hard.”
What About the Other Home Alone Movies?
While they might be funny, they still pale in comparison to the original Home Alone and Home Alone 2. You are welcome to love it and have your opinion, but since this is a critical review, we thought we should share our honest opinions.
The Home Alone movies are one of the most iconic things to watch around Christmas, and being a classic, there is always a lot of pressure when trying to recreate something to match up to the high standards the audience has for something related to the beloved whatever it is (again, this happens for all classics). You have to get the details, the cast, the plot, the dialogue, absolutely everything absolutely right. So of course the other Home Alone movies don’t exactly “measure up” to the high standard the fans of the first two movies have.
So yes, we do believe that the other Home Alone movies are good movies. Funny movies. They have similar vibes to the first two. But since the producers and actors change, they don’t quite bring that same originality to it.
Okay, you can leave your kid home alone, and that adds to the comedy, and next year you can lose him in an airport, but eventually it was going old, right? I mean, how many times can you really make the same mistake, you know?
So while we both love the movies along with countless other people, we agree that the series of movies stops at the right time. It didn’t get old and the comedy still lives.
Why Aren’t There More Movies Like Home Alone?
To be honest, we are wondering this too.
We are not trying to say that there are no good comedy movies or anything like that. Though we did notice something a lot of people probably noticed as well: most comedy movies today are rom-coms, or romantic comedies. And don’t get us wrong, there is nothing bad about romantic comedies or romance movies. We love them too! And it’s always so cute to watch it with a friend, or by yourself around winter time. You get to watch a love story that takes place in cozy winter, with a treat right next to you, and get the spirit of the spirit of the winter holidays! And it’s so cute, each and every time!
But… what happens when you no longer want any more romance in your holiday comedy?
One of the things that makes Home Alone so great is the comedy. Just pure slapstick comedy. Nothing else. It allows you to focus on the fun of the movie, the holiday vibes, the irony, the absurd and the funny aspects of the plot as we watch Kevin defeat Harry and Marv over and over again.
In 2025, for example, the only pure slapstick comedy released was the reboot of The Naked Gun franchise.
As a writer in GQ magazine makes plain, by comparison, back in 2004, the list included: “Napoleon Dynamite. Without a Paddle. EuroTrip. Meet the Fockers. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Along Came Polly. 13 Going on 30. 50 First Dates. The list goes on.”
Overall, we love Home Alone for its timelessness, comedy, and holiday vibes, and we truly wish there were more movies like it.