Fans have discovered chilling theory about Kevin’s uncle in Home Alone

It's the most wonderful time of the year - and by that I mean it's time to watch Home Alone.

There's nothing better than curling up on the sofa with some festive cookies and a hot chocolate topped with marshmallows, ready to settle in and watch the wholesome story of a young child being forgotten by his family and targeted by some ruthless burglars.

Ah, Christmas.

Home Alone is actually a quite dark movie when you really start to think about it, and it might be this realization that sparked a chilling theory about one of the supporting characters in the movie - Kevin's Uncle Frank.

The theory comes from a writer from the now defunct publication Crave, Rob Fee, who theorized that despite hanging out at the McCallister's home, Frank actually hated his brother - Kevin's father.

One piece of evidence to back this belief is that he refused to contribute towards the massive $122 bill for the pizza the family get at the start of the movie - despite many of his own kids tucking into it.

Frank also seems to have it out for Kevin, as he calls him a 'little jerk' after his fight with his brother Buzz resulted in the pizza being partially ruined.

So, with this apparent disdain in mind, Fee suggested that Frank might have gone to extremes and actually got involved with the Wet Bandits responsible for ruining Kevin's alone time.

Uncle Frank isn't one of the most likeable characters (20th Century Studios)

The theory suggests that Frank paid the burglars to rob the McCallister's huge home while the whole family was on vacation, apparently in an attempt to one-up his brother.

It might seem a little far-fetched, but fans on Reddit have come to a similar conclusion.

One Reddit user wrote: "Who has contempt for his brother, is a 'Mr. Cheapskate', and always tries to get his brother to pay for ANYTHING? Uncle Frank. It wasn't only about money. It was about getting back at his brother."

Some fans even took the theory one step further, suggesting that not only were the Wet Bandits hired by Frank, but that he also put a hit out on Kevin.

Obviously, fans of the movie will know that even if this theory did turn out to be true, Kevin was far too smart to be bested by the Wet Bandits.

Still, the idea that the criminals weren't only after a bit of cash, but were actually out for the blood of a child, definitely puts an even darker spin on the feel-good movie.