In the upcoming Home Sweet Home Alone 2: Holiday Chaos—set to premiere on Disney+ on November 17, 2025—a new chapter unfolds in the holiday comedy legacy. This installment follows Max Mercer, the clever young protagonist played by Archie Yates, reprising his role from the 2021 reboot. Once again left behind during his family’s holiday departure, Max finds himself defending the home from determined thieves—but this time, the stakes are higher than ever.

The antagonists this time around are not bumbling strangers but a married couple, Jeff and Pam McKenzie, played by Rob Delaney and Ellie Kemper. Their motives run deeper than a simple robbery—they’re after something deeply sentimental: a valuable heirloom belonging to the Mercer family. Their desperation adds emotional weight to the chaos, as they tiptoe between comic misadventure and genuine remorse.

As Max sets clever and elaborate traps to defend his home, the film returns to the franchise’s signature blend of slapstick humor and inventive booby-traps. Yet this time, those traps hit differently—they carry the emotional undercurrent of familial legacy, guilt, and survival. In parallel, the original Home Alone icon Kevin McCallister makes a nostalgic return—Macaulay Culkin reprises his role, bridging generations along with his brother Buzz, portrayed once again by Devin Ratray.

The film has received mixed reviews, with critics and audiences acknowledging improvements over its predecessor but still finding it hard to match the timeless charm of the original. On Rotten Tomatoes, 47% of critics gave it positive ratings with an average score around 5.1 out of 10. It’s described as better than the first reboot but still not destined to become a classic.

Nostalgic appeal comes in waves. For some viewers, the return of familiar faces evokes heartfelt smiles. Others, however, see the reboot trend as unnecessary. Director Chris Columbus—the visionary behind the original 1990 film—famously called any attempt to recreate the original a “mistake,” emphasizing that its unique charm is rooted in a specific moment in time that can’t simply be replicated.

At its core, Home Sweet Home Alone 2: Holiday Chaos is a lighthearted, festive romp that leans into both the joyous chaos of home-alone antics and the sentimental tug of family bonds. It aims to enchant a new generation while offering nods to long-time fans. However, whether it will earn a spot in the hearts of viewers alongside the original remains open to debate.