Home Alone Films Give Mariah Carey a Run for Her Money This Christmas

Every December, Mariah Carey’s name is everywhere, but this year, she’s not the only one making a splash. The Home Alone series, starring Macaulay Culkin, has surged back into the spotlight, landing in the top ten most-watched films on Disney+ as of 4 December 2025. Both the original and its sequel have found their way to numbers eight and nine on the streaming charts, giving Carey’s annual Christmas comeback a bit of healthy competition.

While Mariah’s hit single racks up streams and royalties, the Home Alone films are proving just as much a holiday staple for families. According to recent figures, Carey’s 1994 classic, All I Want For Christmas Is You, has now surpassed two billion streams on Spotify. Reports suggest she’s pocketed between $2.5 and $3 million in royalties each year, with the total earnings from the song since its release topping $100 million. The track remains the highest-charting solo holiday single on the US Billboard Hot 100 and continues to pop up on charts around the globe every festive season.

Mariah’s Festive Fortune

Carey’s Christmas anthem has become a fixture of the season, earning her not just chart success but also a Diamond Award from the RIAA in 2021—the first holiday song to do so. She’s spoken about the song’s longevity, saying:

It blows my mind that ‘All I Want For Christmas is You’ has endured different eras of the music industry. [It] never ceases to amaze me and fill my heart with a multitude of emotions.

With families across Australia and beyond queuing up the song every December, it’s clear the tune isn’t going anywhere soon. But this year, it’s sharing the limelight with a pair of films that have become just as much a part of the Christmas routine.

Home Alone’s Enduring Appeal

Home Alone and its sequel, Lost in New York, are once again making themselves at home in living rooms everywhere. Both directed by Chris Columbus and written by John Hughes, the films follow young Kevin McCallister, played by Macaulay Culkin, as he outsmarts a pair of hapless burglars. The first film, set in Chicago, sees Kevin defending his family’s house, while the sequel takes him to New York, where he faces the same crooks in a new city.

Despite being released in 1990 and 1992, the films have held up remarkably well. The original boasts a 7.7/10 rating on IMDb and a 66% score on Rotten Tomatoes, while the sequel sits at 6.9/10 and 35% respectively. The Wet Bandits—Harry and Marv—have become iconic Christmas villains, and the slapstick traps still get a laugh out of punters young and old.

Christmas Traditions Old and New

It’s not just nostalgia driving the Home Alone resurgence. The films have become a ritual for many, much like Mariah’s song. Whether it’s the booby traps, the cheeky humour, or just the comfort of a familiar story, locals keep coming back year after year. The franchise’s staying power is clear, with both films still drawing big audiences more than three decades after their debut.

For those keen to revisit the chaos, both Home Alone and Home Alone 2 are streaming on Disney+ in Australia and the US. As the festive season rolls on, it looks like Mariah Carey and Kevin McCallister will be sharing the Christmas crown for a while yet.