PLOT: Follows Lucas and Jenny, who think their life is finally coming together when the couple becomes homeowners. Little do they know that their new house comes with a big catch. Lucas and Jenny soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they become trapped in a battle between their Homeowners Association and an onslaught of monsters from hell.
REVIEW: As Fantasia 2025 kicks off, I’m happy to say that the first film (for me at least) is a blast. There’s nothing quite like a horror/comedy that is able to simply be fun. Often they can get so wrapped up in trying to be a specific thing, that they lose their identity. And Hold The Fort manages the fun throughout its runtime with over-the-top characters, fun practical effects, and a pacing that keeps things moving a mile a minute. This has a tone that is playful, and despite all of its death and destruction, is surprisingly amusing and light.
Hold The Fort looks at Lucas and Jenny, a young couple who have just bought their first home. No one told them the main drawback to the neighborhood (or maybe they just didn’t read the fine print). What seems like a normal party for the Home Owner’s Association turns into a battle against Witches, Zombies, Bats, and all sorts of crazy monsters. Turns out, there’s a price for not having to pay property tax. And that price is having to kill a bunch of monsters every year. So they must band together with their neighbors to try to survive the night.
The cast is really fun, albeit a bit stereotypical in their presentation. But there’s not a whole lot of time to get these people established or give them much dimension, so it works to at least make clear distinctions between them all. Lucas is a bit of a bumbling idiot, which can be frustrating at times, but it’s all for the sake of having him rise to the occasion. Jenny, played by genre-regular Haley Leary, falls in line quickly with the insanity and is very in charge. Her getting drunk on moonshine before the chaos is great. But it’s the head of the HOA, Jerry, who really steals the show. His matter-of-fact delivery and strange vibe made me want a whole other adventure with him. His physical comedy reminded me a bit of Terry Kiser in Weekend at Bernie’s.
The kills are fast and furious, with the violence coming on pretty heavily at parts. And they’re able to keep things light enough that none of the deaths really put a damper on the story. Some people may get annoyed that they’re not connecting with the characters enough, but I feel its intentional to keep things from getting too dour. There are a lot of shootouts going on, and it’s when the film can feel a little stale, as it can be bit repetitive. But I won’t lie: I’ll always get a kick out of a witch getting shot in the face. There’s also very gratifying utilization of a wooden sword.
Seeing as how this is very independent, some of the FX work is a bit all over the place. I really love it when they go practical, but some of the marrying of digital with practical can be a bit rough. I found it mostly charming, but it’s not going to be for everyone. And it’s very light, 74-minute runtime made me wish there was just a little bit more here. They’re able to fit plenty in here, but it does feel like we’re missing out on more. I haven’t seen writer/director William Bagley‘s prior work, The Murder Podcast, but after this one, I’ll be seeking it out. He’s able to shoot a slick film that never loses its momentum and juggles an ensemble of characters quite well. His transitions between scenes show someone that really knows what they’re doing.
Ultimately, I really enjoyed my time with Hold the Fort. It’s silly, has some good laughs, and gave me the same feeling I had when watching horror/comedies of the 2000s like Dead & Breakfast or Jack Brooks Monster Slayer. The humor can feel a bit “Haha, didn’t I say something funny?” at times, but it never dampers the film. Featuring a greatest hits of classic monsters, it also manages to introduce a new villain that is a great design and, to my knowledge, wholly original. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but it manages to hit the perfect tone for a horror/comedy.
HOLD THE FORT IS CURRENTLY PLAYING AT FANTASIA 2025 AND RELEASES ELSEWHERE ON AUGUST 23RD, 2025.
