Home Alone

Play trailer

2:13

Home Alone

PG

Released Nov 16, 1990

1h 42m

Kids & Family

Holiday

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

66%

Tomatometer

116 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

When bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) acts out the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother (Catherine O'Hara) makes him sleep in the attic. After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house and assumes his wish to have no family has come true. But his excitement sours when he realizes that two con men (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) plan to rob the McCallister residence, and that he alone must protect the family home.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Home Alone's uneven but frequently funny premise, stretched unreasonably thin, is buoyed by Macaulay Culkin's cute performance and strong supporting stars.

Read Critics Reviews

Catherine Dunphy

Toronto Star

This is going to be a big hit with the kids. Word will get out in the schoolyard that Home Alone is really funny. Just don’t let the kids near the iron after they’ve seen it.

Nov 30, 2023

Full Review

George Landau

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Home Alone isn't high art, but it's a swell gift to movie-going families.

Nov 29, 2023

Full Review

Lynden Barber

Sydney Morning Herald

Using split-second editing, playfully choreographed violence and exaggerated responses such as the bug-eyed double take, director Chris Columbus has created a live action comedy in the style of a Warner Bros cartoon.

Nov 29, 2023

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

This film truly captures something enduring about what it's like to be a kid, and it continues to speak to that child in all of us.

Dec 14, 2023

Full Review

Marylynn Uricchio

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Without being the least bit schmaltzy or cloying, Home Alone manages to impart the holiday spirit. Its saving grace is an unexpected vein of irreverent humor that verges on the black.

Rated: B-

Nov 30, 2023

Full Review

Dennis King

Tulsa World

Home Alone will send most moviegoers home with the warm glow of a story well told.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 29, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Conor S

It’s an absolute fun Christmas masterpiece!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/11/25

Full Review

Maxwell D

The concept and execution just don't stand out, and it's definitely not realistic.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/14/25

Full Review

Cade H.

Home Alone has been a benchmark film for rating both Christmas movies and comedy movies in general for the past 30 years. Most people can remember at least a couple different scenes from this movie off the top of their head, this can’t be said for the majority of comedy movies. The primary reason this movie is so revered and watched on a yearly basis is because of the soundtrack. Without the iconic instrumentation of John Williams subtly playing throughout every crucial scene of the movie, you would have a one dimensional (decent albeit) 90s Christmas comedy.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/29/25

Full Review

Jack G

I watch this movie pretty much religiously every single holiday's even as it's my favorite Christmas movie of all time! It's absolute perfection and one of my favorite movies of all time. I don't care what anyone says

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/16/25

Full Review

Audience Member

This is my favorite Christmas movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/16/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Probably my favorite Christmas movie, home alone is a classic Christmas that gives you 100 dollars and let's you keep the change

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/24/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Chris Columbus

Director

Macaulay Culkin

Kevin McCallister

Joe Pesci

Harry Lime

Daniel Stern

Marv Merchants

Catherine O'Hara

Kate McCallister

John Heard

Peter McCallister

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

35%

62%

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Jingle All the Way

20%

41%

Jingle All the Way

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Jingle All the Way

Mrs. Doubtfire

71%

77%

Mrs. Doubtfire

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Mrs. Doubtfire

Baby's Day Out

24%

52%

Baby's Day Out

Watchlist

Rookie of the Year

41%

53%

Rookie of the Year

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Jenny Slate’s Five Favorite Films

12 Film Critics Remember Their Favorite Holiday Movies

Critical Consensus: "Apocalypto" Is Bloody Good; "Blood Diamond" Needs Polish; "Unaccompanied" Is Minor; "Holiday" Is So-So

Home Alone: Trailer 1

2:13

See It/Skip It: Thanksgiving Movies

2:49

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

When bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) acts out the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother (Catherine O'Hara) makes him sleep in the attic. After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house and assumes his wish to have no family has come true. But his excitement sours when he realizes that two con men (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) plan to rob the McCallister residence, and that he alone must protect the family home.

Director: Chris Columbus
Producer: John Hughes
Screenwriter: John Hughes
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: 20th Century Fox, Hughes Entertainment
Rating: PG
Genre: Kids & Family, Holiday, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 16, 1990, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $281.5M
Runtime: 1h 42m
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround

Most Popular at Home Now