Home Alone has the same plot as a French movie released the Christmas before

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I absolutely love Home Alone – it’s a Christmas must-watch and a huge movie success! But did you know that just a year before it came out in 1990, another Christmas movie with a really similar story was released? It was actually much darker and scarier, though!

Home Alone tells two stories at once. One follows the McCallister family’s chaotic Christmas trip to Paris, where they oversleep, rush to the airport, and take off – only to discover they’ve accidentally left their eight-year-old son, Kevin, behind.

In this sequel, Kevin finds himself home alone again, enjoying the freedom until two burglars attempt to break in. He quickly takes charge, defending his house with a clever series of traps.

The movie came out on November 16, 1990, and quickly became a huge success, earning almost $500 million despite costing only $18 million to make. However, audiences in France at the time noticed it bore a striking resemblance to a film that had come out the year before…

Home Alone has the same plot as Deadly Games

The French film ‘Deadly Games’ has gone by several titles. It was originally released in May 1989 as ‘3615 Code Père Noël’ and was known internationally as ‘Dial Code Santa Claus’ before being renamed ‘Deadly Games’.

The movie follows two narratives: one centers on Thomas, a lonely boy coping with the loss of his father by escaping into action films. The story begins on December 24th, with Thomas attempting to contact Santa Claus through his computer.

Another worry involves a troubled homeless man who gets a job playing Santa at the store where Thomas’s mother works. He’s quickly fired for hitting a child, and then steals the Santa costume. Disguising himself with a newly whitened beard and hair, he goes to Thomas’s house, intending to cause harm.

At first, Thomas believes he’s the genuine Santa Claus, but that changes when the man kills his dog. From that moment on, Thomas transforms, mimicking his favorite action heroes and preparing for a fight. He uses various gadgets and cleverly set traps to stop the dangerous impostor.

The second half of the film closely resembles Home Alone, but it’s darker in tone, features more intense violence, and has a more unsettling ending compared to the original, feel-good American movie.

Dial Code Santa Claus director tried to sue

John Hughes, the writer of Home Alone, claimed he hadn’t watched the French film it’s often compared to. 20th Century Fox also stated the two movies weren’t alike.

Despite this, the film’s writer and director, René Manzor, believed something unfair had happened. According to a New York Times report, he considered suing the studio and also attempted to reach a private agreement, though those efforts failed.

That movie really put Manzor on the map here in the States, and before you knew it, he was collaborating with legends like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg on Indiana Jones! It was amazing to see his career take off like that.

Although Deadly Games wasn’t a huge box office success like Home Alone, it’s gained a dedicated following over the years. In 2018, the American Genre Film Archive restored the film, and it screened at festivals and theaters. Now, you can often find it available on streaming platforms.

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2025-11-14 19:49