In 1990, Macaulay Culkin's Kevin McCallister stole the hearts of audiences in Home Alone. The Christmas comedy was so popular; it spawned a series of follow-up films. However, horror fans have put a sinister spin on the Home Alone franchise, suggesting cute little McCallister becomes Jigsaw, the infamous killer from the Saw films.
The obvious link between the two characters is their propensity for creating traps. However, the viral fan theory digs deeper, pointing out how seemingly innocent Kevin "displays anger-control issues, a proclivity for violent fantasies, and voyeuristic tendencies, combined with a fetish for recorded video." Not to mention Kevin develops an unusual fascination with his next-door neighbor Marley, a man rumored to be a serial killer nicknamed the "South Bend Shovel Slayer."
Right from the start of Home Alone, Kevin displays a tendency for anger and impulse control. After his older brother Buzz eats all the cheese pizza, Kevin flies into a rage and physically lashes out at Buzz. Kevin ultimately gets his cheese pizza after a creepy interaction with the delivery boy. He uses snippets of dialogue replayed from an old videotape to make the delivery boy think he's about to be shot, causing him to flee in terror. It's a technique Kevin uses against the robbers later. Still, considering he left the money for the pizza, there was no real reason for him to scare the delivery boy other than for his own amusement.
The author of the fan theory also points out Kevin's "visual hallucinations." The similarities between Kevin's metal-mouthed furnace monster and the reverse bear trap on Amanda in Saw are striking. While Kevin's hallucinations are likely the result of childhood imagination, it doesn't mean they didn't serve as inspiration for his later traps as Jigsaw. Furthermore, most of Kevin's home-defense bobby traps -- although less sophisticated -- are activated by the victim, just as Jigsaw's traps.
In Home Alone 2, Kevin records his uncle in the shower and uses it to frighten the hotel workers. As exemplified by this scene, Kevin's propensity for voyeurism and video recording align with Saw's villain. Not only does Jigsaw deliver directions for his "games" in video format, but he always monitors his "test subjects" via video feed from another location.
Kevin's anger control issues, violent fantasies and neglectful parents are all potential ingredients to make a future serial killer. Not to mention surviving a home invasion with little to no help from the police could explain Jigsaw's tendency to target and toy with law enforcement. It could also shine a light on his choice of victims. Jigsaw is known for selecting people who've done wrong. He's targeted cheaters, scammers, gang members, abusers and, of course, thieves. Motivated by his cancer diagnosis and failed suicide attempt, Jigsaw maintains he tests people to give them a new appreciation for life. However, it's also possible he's reenacting the home invasion from his childhood on similar wrong-doers.
The theory might be far-fetched, but even James Wan, the co-creator of Saw, thinks it's a fun idea. "I should've known all along that Macaulay Culkin would grow up to be John Kramer. I think it's awesome," Wan said to Cinemablend. While most folks agree Home Alone features a mischievous child justly defending his life and home, others argue it could be "a cold-blooded and repeated attempt at double homicide." Either way, Kevin's intricate and violent home-defense traps are eerily similar to Jigsaw's complex murder traps, suggesting there might be more to Home Alone than simple childhood hijinks.