Warning: This article contains spoilers for Home Sweet Home Alone.

The new movie Home Sweet Home Alone has a lot of plot holes and dead-end storylines that need further analysis. The film takes place in the same world as the first two Home Alone films, though almost 30 years later. There are cameos that seem pointless, plot points that appear to go nowhere, and bizarre character motivations. Even Home Sweet Home Alone's ending has plot holes.

The film begins with an open house at Jeff and Pam McKenzie's home. The couple is reluctant to sell but sees no other way out of their financial problems. Max and his mom pop in to use the washroom and end up making small talk with Jeff about the potential value of an ugly doll he owns. However, when Jeff looks later, the doll is gone. Assuming Max took it, Jeff and Pam attempt to break into Max's home and steal it back. Meanwhile, Max's family goes to Toyko and accidentally leaves him home alone.

Related: Why Macaulay Culkin Isn't In Home Sweet Home Alone

While the film has a pretty clear overall story, there are several bizarre plotlines and holes throughout. While many Home Alone battle plans are known to defy physics, the film's most obvious flaws lie with its numerous dead-end storylines, plot holes, and odd character choices. Here are the most glaring Home Sweet Home Alone plot holes.

Why Didn't Pam & Jeff Just Ring The Doorbell To Talk To 'Grandma'?

Grandma Home Sweet Home Alone

While breaking into Max's home, Pam and Jeff overhear a woman (really a smart speaker) speaking German. They later see him speaking to a volunteer at a church service and believe the woman to be Max's German Grandmother. This leads to a bizarre plot hole in the film: it's unclear why the pair didn't just try to talk to the Grandmother about Max stealing the doll. They would have then realized Max was alone and didn't steal it. Bizarrely, Pam even says to Max that they never would have broken into his house if they thought he was home alone.

It seems as though the Home Sweet Home Alone couple thought Max's grandmother was in on the theft. They had already tried to speak with the family once as they were leaving and were brushed off. It seems like they genuinely felt the family was out to get them. Oddly, this plot hole is completely necessary for the story to function. There can be no Grandmother because this is a Home Alone film. However, Pam and Jeff have to be likable, so they can't knowingly do nothing when a child is alone.

Buzz's Cameo Explained

Buzz Home Sweet Home Alone

One major cameo was the return of Devin Ratray's Buzz, now grown up and a cop. Buzz was the mischievous, bullying older brother of Kevin in the original Home Alone movies. However, as a police officer, Buzz is lacking. He is convincingly lied to by Pam and Jeff, being told they are the owners of Max's home, despite never checking their ID or bothering to knock on the door. He later receives the frantic mother's phone call about her son being alone and only pretends to answer it, believing it to be a prank from his brother Kevin. Some viewers were left wondering why the cops did not care more. However, with the officer being Buzz, this plot hole fills easily. Having seen him in the previous films, viewers can easily accept him as uncaring, lying to his boss, and bad at his job.

Related: Every Song In Home Sweet Home Alone

Why Pam Didn't Have Marks On Her Face From The Thumbtacks

Pam Home Sweet Home Alone

During their final home invasion attempt, Pam and Jeff get pummelled in classic Home Alone style, but the aftermath creates a plot hole in Home Sweet Home Alone. Jeff takes several pool balls to the head, leaving a sizeable lump on his forehead. Meanwhile, after taking dozens of nerf darts with thumbtacks to the face and arms, Pam seems mostly unscathed.

Given Pam and Jeff's behavior around their extended family when they return home, they may have intentionally covered her injuries. Despite having Max in their home, the trio decides to conceal the truth of what happened. They tell everyone that the couple hit a tree, resulting in Jeff's lump. This lie may be because Jeff's injuries are too noticeable to conceal, but perhaps Pam's were able to be covered with makeup. However, it's possible that this is just an inconsistency.

Where The Doll Really Was

Ollie Doll Home Sweet Home Alone

It's never explicitly stated where the ugly doll was while the home invasions were happening in Home Sweet Home Alone. Ollie, Jeff and Pam's nephew, magically appears with it at the end of the film. His parents praise him for "saving the day", but the reality is probably more sinister. The doll is only discovered missing after the extended family arrives. Throughout the film, Ollie is shown stealing small items. He's so sly that the adults don't notice. It's safe to assume that Ollie decided he wanted the ugly doll and hid it with his other stolen treasures.

The Trio's Explanation of What Happened

The House in Home Sweet Home Alone

After Max leaves his home to go to the McKenzies, the group tells everyone a lie: Pam and Jeff wanted to talk to Max, hit a tree, and then find him alone. When his mom comes to pick him up, she makes a comment about hoping the house isn't a mess and the audience sees the panic in Max's eyes. The traps in this Home Alone film are possibly more destructive than the originals. Yet, Jeff and Pam's tone and eyes seem to be reassuring Max. They don't take his mom aside to warn her or confess the truth. It almost seems like they will arrive back to a magically cleaned-up home like in the other films. However, this is far from what happens. It's very unclear how any of the three thought their lies would hold up given the absolute disaster zone they left behind. They do allude in the epilogue that Jeff and Pam paid for clean-up, but their motives for not warning Max's mom are a mystery. This odd interaction is a worth conclusion to the long list of Home Sweet Home Alone plot holes.

Next: Home Alone Reboot Reveals What Happened To Macaulay Culkin's Kevin