Macaulay Culkin was arguably the biggest child actor back in the 1990s with films like Home Alone and its sequel, My Girl, Richie Rich, and an appearance in Michael Jackson's Black and White music video.
While his roles dwindled over time, his brother Kieran Culkin has made quite a name for himself with occasional film roles and with his Emmy-nominated turn as Roman Roy in HBO's drama series Succession. As for the youngest Culkin brother Rory, he has also had his fair share of film and TV roles with his latest appearance being in the Netflix miniseries Halston.
Electrick Children- 6.8 (Rory)
Electrick Children plays around an absurdly interesting premise that's further bolstered by a dashing lead performance by Julia Garner. She stars as a teenager affiliated with Mormon fundamentalism. When she unexpectedly gets pregnant, she's convinced that she has conceived miraculously after listening to a song on an obscure cassette!
Rory Culkin stars alongside Garner as her eventual love interest. Both characters then embark on a journey to track down the man who recorded the tape, hoping that he's the child's biological father. The deadpan satire along with the Christian metaphors make the indie film a notable work of magical realism.
Lymelife (2008)- 6.9 (Rory, Kieran)
In Lymelife, Rory Culkin stars as Scott Bartlett, a 15-year-old suburban boy struggling to grow up in the midst of his parents' troubled marriage and a Lyme Disease outbreak in the 1970s. Kieran also shares a brief role as Scott's older brother. Alec Baldwin, in particular, stands out as a mean-spirited father. The scenes featuring the tumultuous father-son relationship add to Lymelife's dramatic highlights.
This 2008 feature again proves Rory's knack for serious roles as compared to his brothers who started out with mainstream comedic films.
Uncle Buck (1989)- 7 (Macaulay)
Written and directed by John Hughes, Uncle Buck is a heartwarming family comedy starring the late John Candy as the titular character. An irresponsible bachelor, Uncle Buck is tasked with babysitting his brother's rebellious children. In one of his earliest screen credits, Macaulay Culkin plays Miles Russell, one of the children that Buck has to take care of.
The film was a box-office success and spawned a TV series of the same name. Hughes wrote Home Alone a year after Uncle Buck, driving Macaulay Culkin to mainstream popularity.
Home Alone (1990)- 7.1 (Macaulay)
Macaulay Culkin's big break came with Chris Columbus's holiday classic Home Alone. The actor starred as Kevin, a troublesome boy who's somehow left behind at home as his dysfunctional family goes away for a Christmas vacation. As two burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) plan to take advantage of the situation, Kevin resorts to his own wits waging an all-out war against the invaders.
Worthy of multiple viewings, Home Alone made a star out of young Macaulay, even earning him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy.
Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992)- 7.2 (Macaulay)
Home Alone 2: Lost In New York follows a similar premise as its predecessor with the setting shifting from Kevin's home to the Big Apple. To bring on the laughs, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern reprise their roles as Harry and Marv. This time around, Kevin accidentally flies to New York while his adversaries plan to rob a toy store in the same city.
The sequel yet again makes for a thrilling comedy that also doubles as a family-friendly action flick with Kevin resorting to all means possible to defeat the two criminals. Home Alone 2 paved the way for many more follow-ups all of which followed the same formula but didn't star Culkin.
Mean Creek (2004)- 7.2 (Rory)
Mean Creek starts off as an innocent coming-of-age story that eventually transitions into a psychological study of the dark side of youth. Rory Culkin stars as Sam, a meek boy who's picked on by the school bully George (Josh Peck). However, when Sam's brother's friend Marty (Scott Mechlowicz) plans to seek revenge by humiliating George, a series of unprecedented events drive the youngsters down a rabbit hole of chaos.
The film definitely doesn't make for a comfortable watch and explores concerning themes around the loss of innocence. Culkin along with his two co-stars delivers a haunting performance, suiting Mean Creek's disturbing tone.
Columbus (2017)- 7.2 (Rory)
Columbus is a slow-burning dramedy that also serves as a love letter to architecture. The directorial debut of video-essayist Kogonada deals with the son of an architecture scholar (John Cho) who's stranded in Columbus, Indiana to take care of his comatose father. As he explores his bleak surroundings, he strikes a friendship with a library employee Casey (Haley Lu Richardson) who aspires to become an architect herself. Rory Culkin has a supporting role as Casey's friend and co-worker at the library.
The drama received overwhelmingly positive reviews from all over with particular praise directed towards the central romance and the humanistic tones of Kogonada's direction.
The Cider House Rules (1999)- 7.5 (Kieran)
The Cider House Rules boasts an impressive ensemble comprising of Tobey Maguire, Michael Caine, Paul Rudd, Charlize Theron, and Keiran Culkin as the young orphan Buster. The narrative is centered upon an orphanage in which a young man (Maguire) grows up to be a skilled physician. Intent on exploring the world outside, he plans to leave the orphanage only to struggle with new realities.
The film's heartwarming period setting along with its cast won over critics, earning a slew of Academy Award nominations with Michael Caine winning one for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the compassionate orphanage director Dr. Larch.
You Can Count On Me (2000)- 7.5 (Rory)
Before Margaret, writer-director Kenneth Lonergan collaborated with Rory Culkin for his debut film You Can Count On Me. Laura Linney plays the central character of Sammy, a single mother who shares strained relationships with her family and peers. Apart from starring Mark Ruffalo and Matthew Broderick, it also marked Culkin's screen debut as Sammy's son Rudy.
For his performance, he earned a Best Debut Performance nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards along with winning a Young Artist Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)- 8.5 (Kieran)
Edgar Wright's romantic action comedy classic stars Michael Cera as the titular character who makes it his mission to fight off the many ex-partners of his love interest Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). True to the over-the-top nature of the graphic novel it is based on, the film relies on visually spectacular and absurdly funny fight sequences to turn Scott into a highly relatable underdog-turned-hero.
Kieran Culkin also features in the ensemble as Scott's roommate Wallace Wells. As compared to the childlike Scott, Wallace is more mature and handles most of their flat's responsibilities.