Home Alone's most mind-blowing theory ever: Old Man Marley is more magic than you think

The 1990 festive comedy will be rewatched by movie fans this December, especially after being voted Britian’s favourite Christmas film, but we reckon you have never noticed this Easter Egg before.

Fans will know Old Man Marley, the neighbour of Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McCallister, played by the late Roberts Blossom.

Early in the film, Kevin’s older brother Buzz terrifies him with stories of Marley murdering his family and half the people on their block back in 1958.

Of course, we later find out this is all the invention of Buzz as Marley (named after the ghost in A Christmas Carol) turns out to be a really nice old guy who even saves Kevin by knocking out burglars Harry and Marv with a snow shovel.

However, a Reddit user spotted something significant about the character’s magical healing hand.

With an eagle eye, Reddit user SkiingHard noticed how Marley’s hand is very bloody when Kevin first encounters him at the store, only for it to heal over time.

Next, they meet in a church where Marley opens up about his estranged son and how he wants to see his granddaughter. During this interaction, the old man’s hand only has a small plaster over what was once a huge wound.

The next part of the theory is where it gets really interesting and especially convincing.

The Reddit user writes: “The next deliberate time Marley’s right hand is showcased is when he is hugging his granddaughter the next morning in which his hand appears to be fully healed. Part of me wants to chalk this up to oversight but with how Marley’s hand is showcased, I just don’t think that is the case. I have never heard this brought up before and the only thing I can think of is showing how old wounds can heal.

“As he interacts with Kevin and heeds his advice, he slowly heals a longstanding wound formed by the argument with his son. Thus, at the end, no more wound. My theory is that the wound is a physical manifestation of a healing relationship with his son.”

All six Home Alone movies are streaming on Disney+.