Top 20 Home Alone Traps

Top-20-Home-Alone-Traps

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best, most memorable, and most brutal traps in the "Home Alone" franchise. Warning: Brick-sized spoilers will ensue!

#20: BB Gun
“Home Alone” (1990)

Sometimes, the simplest weapons make the best traps. In this comically intense moment, Kevin uses his brother's BB gun on the Wet Bandits, cocking the rifle like a soldier. When Harry and Marv knock on the front door, taunting him, Kevin uses the dog flap to send a quick message. It's such a simple trap, but watching Joe Pesci struggling not to curse while trying to explain the situation to a clueless Marv is definitely worth its weight in gold. And of course, Marv gets his own comeuppance when he sticks his head through the dog flap. Seriously, Marv, what did you think was going to happen? “Home Alone’s” penchant for slapstick comedy truly never gets old.

#19: The Trampoline Trap
“Home Alone 3” (1997)

The third "Home Alone" movie may have its flaws. But one thing's for sure: It ups the stakes considerably in both its premise and its traps. This last trap is a particularly iconic one. In this scene, Alex places the trampoline over the pool and moves the actual pool cover further to the side. He then lures the criminals to come after him. However, when the two men jump onto the trampoline, they end up being plunged into the icy waters below. Yikes! This mix of painful hilarity and actual clever thinking definitely makes this trap one of the best in the series.

#18: The Flying Bricks
“Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992)

In "Home Alone’s" more expansive sequel, Kevin cleverly uses the city's resources to his advantage. After the Wet Bandits try to trick him into throwing down his camera, Kevin instead launches several bricks at them. The first one hits Marv squarely on the forehead and the second one…also hits Marv squarely on the forehead. Harry goads Kevin into throwing another brick and he obliges…only for it to also hit Marv squarely on the forehead. At this point, Marv is barely conscious enough to warn Harry about a fourth brick aimed right at him…but it still hits Marv on the forehead. Kevin's supernatural throwing skills and Marv's unfortunate magnetism for bricks elevates a simple trap into comedy gold.

#17: Coat Hanger Zipline
"Home Alone" (1990)

This franchise's love for whimsical yet clever traps shines through in Kevin's truly daring escape. After throwing the tarantula at Marv's face, Kevin uses a coat hanger to zipline through to the tree house. Once there, he taunts the Wet Bandits, luring them to follow him before he calls the police. It’s pretty obvious what he plans to do, yet Harry and Marv jump on the zipline anyway. As expected, Kevin waits until they are about halfway across before cutting the line with a pair of shears. This sends the bandits crashing into the brick wall of the house. Frankly, they should have seen this coming.

#16: The Cement Trap
"Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (1992)

Poor Marv really gets the brunt of the damage from these traps, doesn't he? In this simple but effective setup, Marv tugs on a bit of rope dangling from several holes, thinking it is safely taut and secure enough to climb. Of course, the rope is actually tied to a bag of cement, which falls and hits him squarely in the face. Ouch! As always, "Home Alone" doesn't relent in its gags, inventing new traps for the same effect, and Marv's face is the ongoing casualty. It’s no wonder he felt the urge to murder rising in him.

#15: Exploding Igloo
"Home Alone: 3" (1997)

One highlight of the third “Home Alone” movie is the brilliant use of gadgets, particularly Alex’s toy car equipped with a military chip and a surveillance camera. Using a remote control, Alex drives the car to the igloo where one of the criminals is hiding, with his brother’s parrot mounted on top of it. After a hilarious exchange with the criminal and a failed bribery attempt, the parrot lights a match, igniting the fireworks inside the igloo and causing a powerful explosion. The effective use of toys and vehicles to set off this elaborate trap deserves kudos, and showcases Alex as a canny successor to Kevin's wiles.

#14: The Tar & Nail Steps
"Home Alone" (1990)

Some traps are truly painful. And of course, Marv is at the receiving end of most, if not all of them. One of the sharpest and most dangerous traps Kevin has ever laid has to be the tar and nail trap. First, Kevin coats the basement steps with tar, making Marv lose his shoes and socks to the sticky paste. Now barefoot, Marv gets carried away and steps on a nail, causing him to fall back in intense agony. The foresight Kevin had to have to conceive of this trap is testimony to his great imagination. And perhaps a hint of latent sociopathy. The Internet said so, not us!


#13: The Rope Iron Trap
“Home Alone” (1990)

Speaking of creative ingenuity: Kevin's next trap is similar to the cement bag in the sequel, and just as direct. When Marv yanks on a light switch, it comes off and releases a hot iron that falls and lands - of course - right on his face. A simple enough trap, but what makes it so memorable is Marv's hilarious reaction afterwards and the red imprint the iron leaves on his face. The fact that the iron falls through a laundry chute makes the joke land… hard. It's cartoon comic logic executed perfectly in live action.


#12: Slippery Floor & Paint Can Shelves
“Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992)

Kevin's traps, it turns out, are a lot slicker than Marv realizes. In this one, Marv isn’t careful and falls onto the slippery basement floor. But that's not all: His fall makes him hit the paint can shelves, which tumble down on him. Whether Kevin intended for the shelves to fall or not, it’s still a marvelously slippery consequence of the trap. This isn’t Marv’s first time falling victim to Kevin’s slippery tricks, either due to tar or toy cars on the floor. Either way, the little boy’s tendency for tripping up criminals is tactical hilarity.

#11: Feathers
“Home Alone” (1990)

This is among the fowl-est and most elaborate of Kevin's traps. After goading him into a room, Harry walks face first into a sheet of cellophane when he opens the door. Then he trips over a rope, activating a fan which blows feathers into his face, making him resemble a chicken. It is only a minor setback, but this trap is notable since it is one of the few that inflicts no true harm on either of the Wet Bandits. It also displays more of Kevin's ingenuity at setting up - and setting off - traps. No matter how much the Wet Bandits think they've got the upper hand, Kevin is always one step ahead of them.

#10: Rope Burn
"Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (1992)

Sometimes the most obvious pain is the best option. After finally getting to the top of the house, Harry and Marv find out Kevin is already on the ground, and chase him down a rope. What they don't know is the rope is soaked in kerosene, which Kevin is quick to light when the pair are halfway down. What makes this trap great is the length the bandits go to avoid the fire, letting go and falling several stories in the process. The final punishment comes when a barrage of paint cans follow them down, dousing them in cold water.


#9: Orna-mental
"Home Alone" (1990)

What do Marv and John McClane have in common? A real need for shoes. After Kevin's tar trap forces Marv to lose his footwear, the bandit decides to sneak in through the window. Unfortunately, he forgets to look before he leaps, and plunges his feet down on some easily shattered Christmas ornaments. The trap works as a double whammy when Marv's initial reaction from the pain forces him to step on more ornaments just to keep moving. A testament to Kevin's style, the ornament trap manages to harm the Wet Bandits while tying into the spirit of Christmas.


#8: Too Hot to Handle
"Home Alone" (1990)

Just like in marketing, when it comes to setting traps, it's all about branding. When Harry finally forces his way up the McCallister's front steps, he's all too smug to notice the tiny details right under his nose. As he goes to open the door, he misses the doorknob’s orange glow, and grabs it for the shock – or in this case the burn – of his life. He quickly crawls back down the steps and throws his hand in snow to cool it down. When he pulls it out, he discovers the family's M branded right into his hand. The mark even follows him to the sequel, making it the only trap to permanently damage him.


#7: Tool Time
"Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (1992)

When the bandits go up against gravity, gravity always wins. After a very brief respite, Harry and Marv hear a thumping noise from behind a door. Wondering what's causing the sound, the two press their ears up to the door as it cuts to a tool cabinet tumbling towards them. The fear in their faces before the door bursts open is the cherry on top, before the chest pushes them across the floor. Their noses may be broken, but at least Marv correctly identifies what the sound is.


#6: On Ice
"Home Alone" (1990)

That’s one way to give someone the slip. For his first trick, Kevin hoses his staircases, turning them into a traction nightmare. When Marv heads for the basement door, the slippery steps practically usher him down, although not in the gentlest way. Cleverly using his crowbar to prop himself up, he almost gets inside before slipping again and having it hit him on the head. Harry has it even worse, taking two spills on the front steps, even landing in a backwards roll that’d make a gymnast jealous.


#5: What A Hole
"Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (1992)

Once again, Marv’s lack of situational awareness leads to his downfall. As he triumphantly enters Kevin's New York hideout, he utters some famous last words and celebrates his hard work. Excitedly taking his first step in the house, Marv somehow misses the giant pit right in front of him, and falls face first to the basement floor below. After bone cracks that sound more like a cement-mixer than a human skeleton, Marv finally gets a look at how he ended up downstairs. Even he has to give Kevin credit for this one.


#4: Dumb As a Doorknob
"Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (1992)

The front door is never a safe way into Kevin McCallister's house, but some people never learn. Waking up from his brick induced coma, Marv stumbles up the stairs to make his way in. To his confusion, the doorknob pulls out with yards of string attached, which Marv proceeds to unravel. Turning around to give the string a hardy yank, Marv is shot in the butt by a jury rigged staple gun. Thanks to Kevin's brilliant engineering, the gun shoots him the more he squirms in pain, and each staple is more painful than the last.


#3: Paint It Black...and Blue
"Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (1992)

While some people learn from their mistakes, sometimes it’s still not enough. When climbing the staircase in Kevin's fortified New York house, the bandits suddenly remember their unfortunate paint can attack from the last Christmas raid and adapt accordingly. As Kevin proceeds to aimlessly throw the cans at them, the pair can barely keep it together, believing they’ve actually outsmarted him. But then Kevin reveals his true trap, a giant metal column that swings down, knocking them all the way to the basement. Kevin's sadistic nature takes it one step further, as he cuts the column loose to let it hit the bandits one last time.


#2: That Sinking Feeling
"Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (1992)

Even by “Home Alone” standards, this trap is pretty electrifying. When Marv tries to wash off the paint from Kevin's previous trap, his choice of sink couldn't have been worse. As he grabs the faucets, Kevin activates an arc welder connected to the sink. Marv's screams get wilder and wilder as Kevin cranks up the juice, puffing out Marv's hair and even turning him into a cartoonish skeleton. As dark as the trap is, it's hard not to laugh as Marv keeps shaking, even after he lets go of the faucets.


#1: Baptism By Fire
"Home Alone" (1990)

Deciding to avoid continued burns from the heated front door, Harry goes around back to enter through the kitchen, going out of the frying pan and into the fire...literally. Harry’s burst through the door activates a blowtorch that sets his head on fire and gives us this timeless reaction. While he manages to put it out with snow the first time, his attempt to extinguish it with toilet bowl water in New York ends with explosive results thanks to some kerosene. And yet through it all, the famously foul-mouthed Joe Pesci manages to keep himself from cursing. Now that’s acting!


Which “Home Alone” trap had your face burning with Schadenfreude - or by a hot iron? Let us know in the comments down below!