Just when the annual Die Hard Christmas debate seemed destined to loop forever, Macaulay Culkin stepped in with a firm—and quote-ready—opinion.
According to Parade, the actor, whose name is practically synonymous with holiday movies thanks to Home Alone, made it clear he doesn’t consider the Bruce Willis action classic a Christmas film, even if it’s set in December.
Culkin shared his take in a viral TikTok posted by Mythical Kitchen, where he was asked the question that reliably resurfaces every year: Is Die Hard actually a Christmas movie? His answer was immediate and unambiguous.
“No, it’s not,” Culkin said. “It’s based around Christmas.”
Culkin went on to explain why, in his view, a holiday setting isn’t enough to earn the Christmas-movie label. “Don’t fight—fight me on the moon,” he added, before laying out his logic. “It’s based around Christmas, but if it was also St. Patrick’s Day, it would still be—it would work.”
In other words, Culkin argues that the plot of Die Hard isn’t dependent on Christmas itself. Swap out the decorations and the date, and the story of John McClane battling terrorists in a Los Angeles skyscraper would still function.
He contrasted that with Home Alone, the 1990 comedy that made him a household name. “But you couldn’t do, like, Memorial Day Home Alone, no,” Culkin said. “It doesn’t work that way. I’m just sayin’.”
Culkin also leaned into his holiday legacy, joking about the authority his résumé gives him in these discussions. “Look, I’m kind of the Godfather of Christmas nowadays,” he said, “so yes, my opinion has some sway in this.”
That last line may have been playful, but the internet took the rest of his comments very seriously.
Viewers quickly jumped into the comments to challenge his reasoning, often pointing out that Die Hard only happens because McClane travels cross-country to reunite with his family for Christmas. Others noted the film’s use of Christmas music, office party decorations, and recurring themes of family reconciliation.
Some commenters did agree with Culkin, arguing that Home Alone carries a more traditional holiday spirit, while Die Hard remains an action movie first.
Released in 1988, Die Hard follows McClane as he attempts to save hostages during a Christmas Eve party gone violently off the rails. Two years later, Home Alone used the holiday season to frame its own story of separation and reunion, albeit with far fewer explosives.