---
title: "Home Alone"
year: 1990
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/home-alone"
fi1m_id: "home-alone"
imdb_id: "tt0099785"
tmdb_id: 771
wikidata_id: "Q105031"
fi1m_score: 80
critics_score: 66
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-13"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:14.457194+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Home Alone (1990)

Directed by Chris Columbus · 1h 43m · MPA PG · Comedy, Family

## Identity

Home Alone

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/home-alone
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** home-alone
- **IMDb ID:** tt0099785
- **TMDB ID:** 771
- **Wikidata ID:** Q105031
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099785/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/771, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105031

**Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 66 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* Two burglars discover why grown-ups usually insist on supervising children

> Macaulay Culkin makes *Home Alone* a funny, agreeably unkind family comedy, and the slapstick is timed with care. The sentiment needs less encouragement than Chris Columbus gives it, but the laughter earns our recommendation.

## Synopsis

Macaulay Culkin plays Kevin, a boy left at home without his family at Christmas. With the adults gone, he has to work out what being in charge actually involves. His independence comes with a problem: two burglars have plans for the house, and Kevin must find a way to defend it. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern play Harry and Marv, with Catherine O’Hara as Kate and John Heard as Peter. Chris Columbus directs this family comedy from a screenplay by John Hughes, following a child whose chance to manage alone brings responsibilities he does not expect.

## Review

*Home Alone* understands the attraction of having the adults disappear, and the difficulty of knowing what to do once they have. Chris Columbus and screenwriter John Hughes turn a child left behind at Christmas into a funny, confidently acted family comedy, with more cruelty than its seasonal setting might suggest. We recommend it, though the insistence on making everything touching can be wearing. Its strongest idea is to let a small boy be pleased with himself without requiring him to be particularly nice.

Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin makes that possible. His confidence is funny because it has the force of a child’s certainty: being alone seems to prove he can manage alone. Culkin lets self-importance and uncertainty sit close together, so the performance does not become a long demonstration of how adorable he is. There is enough abrasiveness here to make his resourcefulness satisfying, and enough childishness to keep him from seeming like an adult who happens to be short.

Julio Macat’s cinematography keeps the physical comedy legible, giving the performers’ reactions their proper share of the joke. John Muto’s production design makes the house feel like somewhere Kevin knows well enough to use to his advantage. We accept his command of the place, which gives the increasingly improbable comedy a useful starting point. That familiarity matters when the jokes depend on a child being better prepared than the adults.

Joe Pesci’s Harry and Daniel Stern’s Marv supply the adult bodies required for the punishment, and both understand how much indignity the comedy needs. Their broad performances let us accept the burglars as fair targets, even when the punishment is excessive. We felt slightly guilty about how much we laughed. The boy’s ingenuity is being measured in the discomfort of two grown men, and Columbus allows us to enjoy a good deal of that discomfort. Neither performer is too grand to look thoroughly foolish.

Editor Raja Gosnell earns much of that laughter by judging how long anticipation can last before a gag needs to arrive. His timing gives even the broadest physical jokes a welcome precision. John Williams’s score is generous with feeling, and its warmth helps the film make room for Kevin’s loneliness. The music gives that loneliness enough weight that the return to broad comedy does not simply erase it.

The weakness is Hughes’s determination to make family feeling as emphatic as the physical jokes. The move from a child’s gleeful independence to the ache of being without his family is persuasive enough; the extra nudging is not always necessary. Catherine O’Hara, as Kate, supplies an urgency that makes the adults worth attending to, even when the script seems anxious to tell us what to feel. Columbus sometimes presses the sweetness too hard, slowing a comedy that is otherwise happy to trust its performers. The interruptions are noticeable because Culkin needs so little help.

Family comedies can be so worried about setting an example that nobody is allowed an unattractive thought. This one gives its child a streak of selfishness and its adults a shortage of dignity, which leaves the actors something to play. At 103 minutes, it asks for a little patience with the sweetness, but the comic performances repay it. Make it a family evening, with a firm agreement that none of the ingenuity is to be tried afterwards.

*Fi1m score 80, published 13 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Home Alone, with praise clustering around Macaulay Culkin’s confident performance and the pleasure of watching a child outwit adults. Even less enthusiastic reviews recognise his comic timing and ability to carry the film. The slapstick earns broad approval for its inventive traps and cartoon chases, while the more favourable assessments find enough childhood wish fulfilment and family feeling to give the comedy substance.

The spread is fairly wide, however, and the burglars’ punishment divides critics as much as it entertains them. RogerEbert.com finds that the implausible slapstick weakens an appealing premise, while the Los Angeles Times objects to the sentimental subplots and sadistic undertones despite enjoying some gags. Other reservations concern excessive cuteness and an uneven mood. The central disagreement is over whether the warmth and violence work together, or leave a promising comedy struggling to sustain a full feature.

## Straight answers

**Is Home Alone worth watching?**

*Home Alone* is worth watching as a funny, agreeably unkind family comedy, and we scored it 80. Macaulay Culkin's Kevin is allowed to be pleased with himself rather than merely adorable, and the slapstick against Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern is timed with care. Chris Columbus presses the sweetness harder than the comedy needs, so expect a little patience to be asked of you.

**How long is Home Alone, and what is it rated?**

*Home Alone* runs 1h 43m and is rated PG by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy and family film.

**Where can I watch Home Alone in the US?**

*Home Alone* is streaming on Disney+ and The Roku Channel in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $3.99. It leaves The Roku Channel on 1 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does Home Alone compare to The Kid?**

*Home Alone* and [*The Kid*](https://film.one/film/the-kid) both follow a resourceful child, but Chaplin's film keeps the slapstick and the affection in closer balance, and it is the more sharply judged of the two. *Home Alone* is broader and crueller, with its laughs measured in the indignity of two burglars, and its sentiment arrives in noticeable interruptions. For a family evening of physical comedy, take Columbus; for warmth that does not need nudging, take Chaplin.

**What should I watch after Home Alone?**

After *Home Alone*, try [*The Kid*](https://film.one/film/the-kid) (1921, Fi1m 84): For another resourceful child, with slapstick and affection kept in closer balance. Then [*Mon oncle*](https://film.one/film/mon-oncle) (1958, Fi1m 82): For domestic comedy that gets considerably stranger when the adults take charge; and [*A Christmas Story*](https://film.one/film/a-christmas-story) (1983, Fi1m 79): For Christmas seen through a child’s fierce priorities and imperfect understanding.

### Reviews we read (10)

- **Radio Times**, Adrian Turner (4/5): The critic praises this Christmas movie as a phenomenal money-maker that remains one of the best-loved of its genre, highlighting how director Chris Columbus and writer/producer John Hughes capture the joyfulness of children triumphing over adults through cartoon-like Tom and Jerry chases and a celebration of enterprise that taps into every child's heart and wickedness. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-70apsb/home-alone/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Duane Byrge (80/100, inferred): The film is a polished comic celebration of Middle America, with John Hughes tapping his North Shore neighborhood for inspiration. Director Chris Columbus keeps the festivities lively as the bright boy defends his home against two cat burglars in slapstick perfection, and Macaulay Culkin carries the production spectacularly. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/home-alone-review-1990-1235262919/)
- **Empire**, Ian Nathan (75/100, inferred): The critic finds it a hilarious comedy that kids will love and adults won't mind, though not entirely believable. The booby traps and hi-jinkery against the burglars are singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/home-alone-review/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (60/100, inferred): The critic finds the 1990 Christmas romp a cutesiness overload but acknowledges its phenomenal box-office success and Macaulay Culkin’s confident star-making performance as the resourceful Kevin. The inventive slapstick involving the burglars and the child’s audacity are noted as highlights amid the broad comedy. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/nov/30/home-alone-review-yuletide-rerelease)
- **Time Out**, CM (60/100, inferred): The critic notes that writer/producer John Hughes mixes precocious self-awareness with childlike wonderment as young Kevin is left behind, but finds the film broader in humour with an inconsistency of mood and self-conscious direction that lacks the sustained tension of Hughes's earlier Planes, Trains and Automobiles. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/home-alone)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (50/100, inferred): Ebert finds the premise of a child left home alone appealing but criticizes the film for straying into implausible slapstick with the burglars. He praises Macaulay Culkin's gifted, confident performance as the one element that nearly carries the movie. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/home-alone-1990)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Peter Rainer (40/100, inferred): Rainer calls the film a cartoonish kiddie comedy that works best in its Road Runner-style gags and Culkin's abrasive comic timing but faults the sentimental subplots and sadistic undertones. He notes it plays better as a trailer than a full feature due to unsettling associations. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-16-ca-4515-story.html)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (**): The review describes a first-rate production with wonderful casting, highlighting Culkin as a delight and O'Hara's zesty energy, while Pesci and Stern provide strong comic support. It praises the smartly realized tone and every element contributing positively. [Read](https://variety.com/1989/film/reviews/home-alone-1200428389/)
- **Den of Geek**, James Hunt (80/100, inferred): The original Home Alone deserves its reputation as a classic. Its script is rich with theme and invention, and the emotional beats around loneliness and family reunion still land effectively. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-complete-home-alone-retrospective-home-alone/)
- **Eye for Film**, Gator MacReady (75/100, inferred): The critic praises Home Alone as an ideal Christmas film that highlights a child's ability to outsmart adults. They particularly commend John Williams's score for elevating it beyond typical slapstick. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/home-alone-film-review-by-gator-macready)

## Details

- **Director:** Chris Columbus
- **Director:** Chris Columbus
- **Screenplay:** John Hughes
- **Cinematography:** Julio Macat
- **Editor:** Raja Gosnell
- **Music:** John Williams
- **Production design:** John Muto
- **Costume design:** Jay Hurley
- **Producer:** John Hughes
- **Cast:** Macaulay Culkin as Kevin; Joe Pesci as Harry; Daniel Stern as Marv; John Heard as Peter; Roberts Blossom as Marley; Catherine O'Hara as Kate; Angela Goethals as Linnie; Devin Ratray as Buzz
- **Runtime:** 1h 43m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG
- **Release (the US):** 16 November 1990
- **Genres:** Comedy, Family
- **Part of:** [Home Alone](https://film.one/collections/home-alone.md) · 1 of 2
- **Also in:** [Golden Globe Best Musical or Comedy winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-comedy.md) (Nominee, 1990)
- **Budget:** $18 million
- **Box office:** $477 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzdpqRGA1qc

## Where to watch in the US

- Disney+: streaming, uhd
- The Roku Channel: free, hd, leaving 2026-10-01
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd, leaving 2026-10-01
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd
- Apple TV: rent $4.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $19.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy $19.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-13.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1991: Best Original Score (nominated)
- Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie 1991: Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie (won)
- Golden Globes 1990: Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (nominated); Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *The Kid* (1921), Fi1m 84: For another resourceful child, with slapstick and affection kept in closer balance. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-kid.md)
- *Mon oncle* (1958), Fi1m 82: For domestic comedy that gets considerably stranger when the adults take charge. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/mon-oncle.md)
- *A Christmas Story* (1983), Fi1m 79: For Christmas seen through a child’s fierce priorities and imperfect understanding. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-christmas-story.md)
- *Paddington* (2014), Fi1m 84: For carefully arranged household chaos, with a kinder view of the grown-ups. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/paddington.md)
- *Hunt for the Wilderpeople* (2016), Fi1m 82: For an awkward child whose self-confidence survives considerable evidence against it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/hunt-for-the-wilderpeople.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/home-alone