How Many Home Alone Movies Are There?

What would you do if you were a little kid and your parents accidentally left you at home all by yourself when they went on vacation? It's a question that most children have asked themselves at some point, and that's all down to "Home Alone," a classic Christmastime comedy film about two bumbling burglars and one very resourceful eight-year-old boy. Thanks to a simple yet effective plot and some inspired behind-the-scenes decisions, "Home Alone" became an essential holiday classic and turned young star Macaulay Culkin into a household name.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film grossed $285 million when it was released — a huge amount of money that was even more impressive back in 1990. The box office receipts meant that a sequel was quickly greenlit, and "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" hit cineplexes in 1992. Both movies have become holiday season staples for many families, but the fun doesn't stop there. The franchise has since grown to include several movies focused on different kids and the lengths that they will go to in order to protect their homes. Here's a look at how many movies are actually in the "Home Alone" franchise.

Written and produced by the late John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus, 1990's "Home Alone" finds Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) learning how to live solo after his family accidentally leaves him behind while rushing to catch their flight to France. Kevin enjoys the freedom until he realizes that burglars Marv (Daniel Stern) and Harry (Joe Pesci) are targeting his home. While his family has labeled him a troublemaker, Kevin uses his scheming skills to problem solve, creating a battle plan and plenty of iconic booby traps (which Looper has ranked based on how much they would hurt). As Kevin defends his house, his mother Kate (Catherine O'Hare) is doing everything she can to return home to her son, even hitching a ride with the polka band The Kenosha Kickers, helmed by Gus Polinski (John Candy).

The film has become part of the fabric of pop culture in the decades since its release, endlessly quoted by those who adore its madcap antics and heartwarming ending. If you mention the film in front of a fellow fan, there's a good chance they'll clap their hands to their cheeks and scream, imitating one of Kevin's iconic moments. Not all critics were laughing during its initial release: Roger Ebert said that many of Kevin's antics could only be put together by a kid who has a Hollywood-sized budget, noting that this is just one of the plot points that make this movie unrealistic. The Hollywood Reporter begged to differ, however, calling it "a polished comic celebration of Middle America" with a "crazy but credible scenario."

"Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" sees Kevin McCallister taking a bite out of the Big Apple when he finds himself alone in Manhattan. The 1992 sequel features him checking into the Plaza Hotel and playing pranks on a star-studded hotel staff which includes Tim Curry and Rob Schneider. He is living it up, enjoying mountains of ice cream delivered by room service and practising his cannonballs in the hotel pool. He also befriends a homeless lady in Central Park as well as the owner of the toy store Duncan's Toy Chest. This surprise vacation feels like a dream come true for Kevin. That is, until he runs into Marv and Harry, who have broken out of prison. When they happen to bump into Kevin on the street, they embark on a quest for revenge.

The sequel has its own share of iconic moments, including Kevin's limo ride through the city and the moment where he tricks the hotel staff into responding to dialogue from the fictional gangster movie "Angels with Even Filthier Souls," a sequel to the (also fictional) gangster flick from the first film. These are just a few of the many moments that make "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" another holiday must-watch for families around the world. Upon the film's premiere, The New York Times questioned its originality, pointing out that many moments from "Home Alone" are basically reinvented for the sequel. However, The Hollywood Reporter said that those similarities will cause kids to celebrate and enjoy this second film, which took home a worldwide gross of $358 million. There's no doubt that the sequel followed the blueprint of the first film, which ultimately created a formula for the franchise.

While John Hughes returned to the franchise to pen "Home Alone 3," Macaulay Culkin decided not to star in this installment, having grown tired of the spotlight. Instead, the 1997 adventure showcases a new child mastermind, and a plot that is way bigger than New York City or the picturesque suburbs of Illinois. This time, Alex Pruitt (Alex D. Linz) is taking down the bad guys after he is left home alone while dealing with a case of chickenpox. The villains are international criminals who are after a super secret missile chip that they hid in a toy car that ends up with Alex.

The espionage twist makes this a James Bond-style caper tailored toward families looking for some fun action comedy. It also features an 11-year-old Scarlett Johansson as Alex's older sister Molly. Johansson told People that she watched the film during COVID-19 quarantine with her six-year-old daughter, who didn't recognize her. However, fans of "Scrubs," "Mean Girls," and "The Middle" definitely won't miss an appearance by Neil Flynn, who plays the police officer that responds to Alex's call for help.

While Robert Ebert said that he liked this installment much more than the first two, he also said that the movie may be enjoyed more by kids than adults. The fact is, the universal appeal of the first two films is what made them timeless, with "Home Alone" containing plenty of things that only adults would notice. Elsewhere, The New York Times was also pleasantly surprised, with critic Stephen Holden writing: "Put sophisticated remote-control gadgetry at the boy's fingertips, and get a director (the newcomer Raja Gosnell) with a feel for the kind of knockabout farce that makes grown-ups look like fools, and you have a refreshed formula that's good for at least one more episode and maybe two."

2002's "Home Alone 4" is rather baffling for fans of the first two films. It stars all new actors and at first glance appears to be a reboot, as the characters have the same names as the original ones. It follows Kevin McCallister (now played by Mike Weinberg), who is tired of being treated unfairly by his brother Buzz (Gideon Jacobs) and his sister Megan (Chelsea Russo). He needs a change and decides to spend the holiday season with his dad, Peter (Jason Beghe), and his girlfriend, Natalie (Joanna Going), as they welcome a royal family to stay at their fancy high-tech home. It just so happens that the house is being targeted by Marv (French Stewart) and his wife Vera (Missi Pyle).

Sounds kinda weird, right? Well, the strangest thing is, this film isn't actually a reboot, but a direct sequel to "Home Alone" and "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York." The proof of this is in the film itself: Kevin recognizes Marv as the burglar he has twice thwarted and his mother reminds him that he's been left home alone in the past. We just have to accept that Kevin's parents decided to separate sometime between the second film and this one.

Like the previous installment, "Home Alone 4" has a big focus on high-tech gadgets, but that technology results in luxurious living rather than cloaking missiles. Macaulay Culkin actually reviewed the fourth film in a video for RedLetterMedia, saying, "It kind of confuses some of the stuff from the 'Home Alone' movies with some of the 'Richie Rich' kind of stuff," referring to the other family comedy that he starred in. Meanwhile, Common Sense Media said the movie lacked the charm of the beloved original while recycling material. 

2012's "Home Alone: The Holiday Heist," the franchise's fifth installment, takes a tentative step into the paranormal. It follows a brand new family in the Baxters, who are settling into their new house. It begins with a group of thieves planning to break into a home once owned by a notorious bootlegger who owned a priceless work of art that mastermind Sinclair (Malcolm McDowell of "A Clockwork Orange" fame) craves. He knows that the house recently went on the market, leading him to believe that they can grab the piece before someone buys it, but he soon realizes that his timing is off. Meanwhile, Finn Baxter (Christian Martyn) thinks the house is haunted and sets up booby traps for the ghost, hoping that proof of a haunting will make his parents want to head back to California. This brings him into contact with the art thieves.

The cast also includes "Entourage" star Debi Mazar, who plays a thief named Jessica, and Ed Asner as Mr. Carson. While it tries to capture the attention of audiences with slapstick gags and funny one liners, it's ultimately one of the most forgettable films in the franchise, despite some talent in the cast. The fact that Malcolm McDowell agreed to this role is, quite frankly, baffling. "This is absolutely slumming for his level of talent, and this film should thank its lucky stars to get him," said Mutant Reviewers. Elsewhere, Nerds on the Rocks pointed out one crucial flaw with this entry: "Let's get this out of the way because it hung over my head this entire movie, the main kid is NEVER actually HOME ALONE." You would think that a "Home Alone" film would be built around the lead youngster being home alone, but apparently this didn't matter to producers.

The 2021 Disney+ original movie "Home Sweet Home Alone" brings the franchise back to Illinois while developing a plot that is more akin to that of the original. Like Kevin, Max Mercer (Archie Yates) is growing tired of his family as they yell at him and complain while prepping for a trip to Tokyo. As they run out the door to catch their flight, they accidentally leave Max home alone. This is all very formulaic at this point, but this new installment does have a new twist not seen in the franchise before: Instead of a burglar trying to break into Max's home, nearby resident Jeff McKenzie (Rob Delaney) is trying to get inside the house because he believes that Max took his mother's rare doll while visiting his home during an open house.

"Home Sweet Home Alone" boasts a cast full of familiar faces, including Ellie Kemper as Jeff's wife Pam, Kenan Thompson as realtor Gavin Washington, Chris Parnell as Max's Uncle Stu, Timothy Simons as Jeff's brother Hunter. Archie Yates is also well known for his work in Taika Waititi's satirical comedy film "Jojo Rabbit." This goofy family adventure offers plenty of laughs, but critics largely trashed it: The film has a 15% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Brian Lowry reviewed it for CNN and called it an "ill-conceived" replication, while Courtney Howard of Variety said that it's "Mean-spirited, downright sloppy and awkwardly unfunny." Benjamin Lee of The Guardian gave out one of the few somewhat positive reviews, saying that while the film was "wholly unnecessary," it was still entertaining.

While none of the sequels after "Lost in New York" are very good, there are plenty of other movies like "Home Alone" that are perfect for the whole family.