Home Alone is the most pirated classic Christmas movie of 2022

As millions of people settle in for the long holiday weekend, many are looking online for free movies to watch over the holidays. Christmas movies are always popular this time of year, and 2022 is not disappointing in that regard.

TorrentFreak collected data from BitTorrent over the weekend to compile a list of the most pirated classic Christmas movies, and a clear winner emerged. Home Alone, starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, topped the list, followed by its sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York in second place.

"The Grinch," "Elf" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" rounded out the top five.

Home Alone was released in November 1990, with Macaulay playing the protagonist Kevin McCallister, a young boy who protects his home from burglars after he is accidentally left behind while his family goes on vacation to Paris for Christmas. The film was a huge success at the box office, earning $476.7 million, and also launched Macaulay's acting career. It remained the highest-paid live-action comedian until it was surpassed by The Hangover Part II in 2011.

Watching Home Alone has since become a holiday tradition for millions, as evidenced by its top ranking on TorrentFreak's charts. It continues to resonate with audiences and remain fresh over 30 years later, in part due to modern toy tie-ins like Funko and Lego.

Last year, the real home where the movie was filmed was made available for a one-night stay on Airbnb.

Several sequels followed, but none starred Macaulay, and most considered the works beyond the first two films to be flops that were merely attempts to cash in on the franchise's name.

Of course, those interested in re-watching Home Alone or viewing the film for the first time have plenty of legal ways to do so. The film is readily available to stream on Disney+ or to purchase directly through services like Prime Video, iTunes, or YouTube.