Home Alone Takes Over Hulu’s Christmas Charts: Why America Is Still Falling for Kevin McAllister in 2025

As Americans settle into their couches this holiday season, one familiar scream is echoing across living rooms nationwide. According to Hulu’s internal Top 10 charts, the Home Alone franchise has become the undisputed king of Christmas streaming in the United States, outperforming nearly every other holiday favorite currently available on the platform. What started as a nostalgic revisit has now turned into a full-fledged seasonal phenomenon.

On December 1, Hulu added the entire Home Alone franchise to its library, including Home Alone (1990), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Home Alone 3, Home Alone 4, Home Alone: The Holiday Heistand Home Sweet Home Alone. Within days, the impact was unmistakable. The original Home Alonestarring Macaulay Culkin, claimed the No. 1 spot on Hulu’s U.S. movie chart, while Home Alone 2 followed closely at No. 2. Both films also ranked among the top titles overall across movies and television, surpassing heavyweight Christmas contenders like The Santa Clause, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacationand The Polar Express.

Hulu’s Christmas Streaming Charts Reveal a Clear Winner

For Hulu subscribers, this December has become less about discovering new holiday releases and more about returning to a story that feels as essential as decorating a Christmas tree. While Hulu has not released exact viewership numbers, the consistent chart presence of the first two Home Alone films since December 10 signals sustained interest rather than a brief nostalgia spike. From teens discovering Kevin McAllister for the first time to adults who grew up quoting every line, the franchise appears to bridge generations effortlessly.

What makes this achievement notable is the crowded streaming landscape. Hulu’s December lineup includes an impressive slate of holiday films, from Disney’s A Christmas Carol and Gremlins to the full Santa Clause trilogy. Yet, despite the abundance of choice, viewers are repeatedly pressing play on a 35-year-old film. That alone says something about its cultural staying power.

Why the Original Home Alone Still Dominates American Holiday Culture

At first glance, Home Alone may seem like a simple slapstick comedy built around exaggerated traps and cartoonish villains. However, U.S. audiences continue to respond to it because the emotional core remains timeless. Beneath the paint cans, icy stairs, and improvised blowtorches lies a story about family, loneliness, and the quiet fear of being forgotten during the holidays.

Critics and audiences alike continue to validate its appeal. The film currently holds a 66 percent critic score and an 80 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, reflecting its dual identity as both a crowd-pleaser and a respected holiday classic. American viewers, in particular, appear drawn to its balance of chaos and warmth. The McAllister home, with its oversized staircase, twinkling lights, and snow-covered streets, has become a visual shorthand for Christmas itself.

John Williams’s score also plays a significant role in its endurance. For many U.S. households, the opening notes of the soundtrack instantly signal the arrival of the holiday season, much like carols on the radio or lights on suburban lawns.

How Home Alone Outshines Newer Holiday Content on Streaming

One of the most interesting aspects of Home Alone’s Hulu success is how it outperforms newer additions to the franchise. While Hulu streams every installment, it is the Culkin-led originals that dominate the charts. This suggests that American viewers are not simply consuming the franchise out of curiosity but are deliberately choosing the versions that defined their childhood or shaped their idea of a Christmas movie.

Meanwhile, Hulu’s broader December catalog extends well beyond holiday fare. The platform added films such as Black Swan, Straight Outta Comptonand multiple Planet of the Apes titles, appealing to a wide range of tastes. Yet even with these high-profile additions, Home Alone remains the go-to comfort watch, especially during a season when familiarity often trumps novelty.