What's the best 'Home Alone' movie? Compare ratings for all six films

The Christmas holiday season is incomplete without at least one "Home Alone" rewatch: whether it's the original two movies in the franchise or the subsequent ones, the classic is in everyone's holiday movie night queue.

But which "Home Alone" film is the most popular among audiences? Which one has the highest ratings? Some might say it's the original ones, while others might find the newer ones to be more fun.

Here's an overview of how each film was received by viewers and we'll let you be the best judge.

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'Home Alone' (1990)

• IMDb Rating - 7.7 / 10
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer - 66%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score - 80%
• Meta Score - 63 / 100
• User Score - 8.2 / 10

The first installation in the "Home Alone" franchise is centered around Kevin McCallister, a naughty 8-year-old, who is accidentally left behind at home in Chicago, as his family flies to Paris for the Christmas holidays. While Kevin loves having the house to himself, he soon finds himself defending his house from a pair of determined burglars.

Released in 1990, the Christmas comedy was directed by Chris Columbus and written and produced by John Hughes. The first film in the "Home Alone" franchise features Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard and Catherine O'Hara.

Where to stream: "Home Alone" is available to stream on Disney+ and will be available to stream on Hulu from January 1. It is also available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Google Play and YouTube.

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'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York' (1992)

• IMDb - 6.9 / 10
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer - 35%
• Audience Score - 62%
• Meta Score - 46 / 100
• User Score - 7.0 / 10

Released two years after the first "Home Alone", the second film in the franchise is set in New York during Christmas. It was directed by Chris Columbus and written and produced by John Hughes.

The lead cast is similar to the first film and features Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard and Catherine O'Hara reprising their original characters.

Where to stream: "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" is available on Disney+, while Hulu subscribers will be able to stream the movie on January 1. It is also available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Google Play and YouTube.

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'Home Alone 3' (1997)

• IMDb Rating - 4.6 / 10
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer - 32%
• Audience Score - 27%

5 years after "Home Alone 2," a standalone sequel "Home Alone 3" was released featuring an entirely new protagonist and actors. The third film in the franchise was centered on 8-year-old Alex Pruitt living in Chicago, who tries to get rid of international spies who seek a top-secret computer chip in his toy car.

The film was directed by Raja Gosnell and written and co-produced by John Hughes. Cast members include Alex D. Linz, Scarlett Johansson, Haviland Morris, Olek Krupa, Rya Kihlstedt, Lenny Von Dohlen, David Thornton, Kevin Kilner, James Saito and Seth Smith.

Where to stream: "Home Alone 3" is available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu. It is also available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Google Play and YouTube.

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'Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House' (2002)

• IMDb - 2.6 / 10
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score - 24 %

The 4th film in the "Home Alone" franchise, "Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House" brings back several characters from the original film, including Kevin and one half of the "Wet Bandits", Marv. However, the film does not feature any of the original cast members and is the first film to not have inputs from John Hughes, who conceived the "Home Alone" series. The film also did not have a theatrical release and went straight to television airing on ABC in November 2002.

In the film, Kevin's parents have split, and he goes to spend the holidays with his father Peter McCallister and his new girlfriend Natalie Kalban. Marv strikes again, along with his new sidekick and wife Vera and Kevin must protect his father's royal guest from being kidnapped by the two.

Where to stream: "Home Alone 4" is available to stream on Disney+ and can be rented or purchased at Apple TV or YouTube.

'Home Alone: The Holiday Heist' (2012)

• IMDb - 3.5 / 10
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score - 27%

Set in Maine, the film follows 8-year-old Finn Baxter, who thinks his new house is haunted and sets up traps to catch the ghost of the house's former occupant. Turns out he actually has to save the house and his sister from a trio of art thieves.

Directed by Peter Hewitt, lead cast members include Christian Martyn, Jodelle Ferland, Malcolm McDowell, Debi Mazar, and Eddie Steeples.

Where to stream: "Home Alone: The Holiday Heist" is available to stream on Disney+ and can be rented or purchased at Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Google TV and YouTube.

'Home Sweet Home Alone' (2021)

• IMDb Rating - 3.6 / 10
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer - 15%
• Totten Tomatoes Audience Score - 12%
• Meta Score - 35 / 100
• User Score - 1.6 / 10

When the naughty Max Mercer is left behind from a family vacation in Japan, he must protect his family home from a married couple attempting to steal a priceless heirloom.

Directed by Dan Mazer, the 2021 Christmas comedy stars Ellie Kemper, Rob Delaney, Archie Yates, Aisling Bea, Kenan Thompson, Pete Holmes, Ally Maki, and Chris Parnell. Devin Ratray, who played Buzz McCallister, Kevin's annoying elder brother in the first two films, reprises his role, essaying Officer Buzz McCallister in this one.

Where to stream: "Home Sweet Home Alone" is available to stream on Disney+.

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Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.