Demons, Duct Tape, and Deed Restrictions

MOVIE REVIEW
Hold the Fort
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Genre: Horror, Comedy
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 14m
Director(s): William Bagley
Writer(s): William Bagley, Scott Hawkins
Cast: Chris Mayers, Haley Leary, Julian Smith, Ryan Monolopolus, Mark Ashworth, Levi Burdick, Hamid-Reza Benjamin Thompson, Tordy Clark, Danielle Kwoka, Michelle L Lamb
Where to Watch: shown at the 2025 Fantasia Film Festival

RAVING REVIEW: Homeownership might not come with a survival manual, but it should. This chaotic genre blend, where everyone's suburban dreams are immediately ambushed by fine print and a very hands-on homeowners association. With a tight runtime and an unapologetically bizarre tone, this indie horror-comedy spins a smart, blood-soaked tale out of one of the most mundane rites of passage—moving into your first house.

Rather than easing into the horror, the story takes off at full speed, dropping its central couple into a nightmarish mess of bylaws, blood, and block parties gone very wrong. It doesn't waste time building suspense; instead, it front-loads its chaos and maintains the pressure. The tension doesn't stem from what might be coming but from how much worse things can get. And when you realize that lawn maintenance violations are the least of this couple’s concerns, you know you're in a very specific kind of movie.

This approach sets a very specific tone but leaves little space for emotion to settle in. Characters appear and vanish with blink and you'll miss it urgency, which adds to the frantic energy but also keeps you at arm’s length. There’s an opportunity for the story to explore its themes more—especially the idea of the H.O.A. masquerading as a friendly neighborhood organization—but those deeper ideas get smothered under gallons of monster mayhem.

Still, there's no denying the charm and fun in how confidently the film commits to its world. The absurdity of neighborhood regulations is played just as straight as the supernatural carnage, creating a tone that rides a fine line between comedy and horror. The H.O.A. becomes more than just a punchline, shaping the world with passive-aggressive force.

Chris Mayers and Haley Leary ground the chaos with performances that feel sincere amid the exaggerated premise. As Lucas and Jenny, they react the way most people might if their housewarming party turned into a demonic siege: confusion first, then a mix of reluctant courage and improvisation. Their dynamic feels natural, which helps sell the escalation from mild annoyance to life-or-death struggle. Mayers especially leans into the comedic awkwardness of being thrust into a hero role, while Leary offers a more stable counterbalance that never slips into parody (until it does.)

The supporting cast adds spice, even if many of them don’t get room to breathe. Julian Smith stands out as the smiling H.O.A. president who feels like he’s stepped out of a corporate training video and into something much more sinister. His performance doesn’t rely on menace—it's the commitment to rules and routine that makes him unsettling. It's a clever twist that pokes fun at performative civility without needing to state it explicitly.

Where the film digs in is with its practical effects. There’s a tactile joy in watching this chaos storm through a living room, tear through drywall, or get obliterated by whatever the characters can find on hand. The blood, the grime, the weight of bodies being flung around—it all feels immediate and, more importantly, earned.

Pacing-wise, the film moves as if it’s being chased, which suits the material but doesn’t leave much room for breathing. That sprinting energy is effective in small bursts but starts to lose momentum at moments that should have a greater impact. A well-timed pause—letting a quiet moment linger before the next wave of chaos—could’ve gone a long way in giving the story more texture.

The humor is baked into the premise and played straight, which keeps things from tipping into spoof territory. This choice gives the movie more staying power—it’s not chasing gags, but instead letting the inherent weirdness of its world do the work. The absurdity hits harder because the characters treat it seriously, which is a smart move for a story trying to balance horror and satire. Even if it doesn’t push its themes as far as it could, the ideas are there. There’s something to be said about how authority and fear are often disguised as neighborly concern, and the film toys with that notion in clever ways.

The director understands the tone they’re going for—fast, irreverent, and slightly unhinged. The film doesn’t try to cover more ground than necessary. It picks a lane and sticks to it, which is often the smarter choice for smaller productions like this. There’s plenty here to enjoy for genre fans and casual viewers alike, provided you’re willing to embrace the absurd. It delivers on its promise: suburban horror served with a wink, a scream, and a few buckets of practical gore. And really, that’s enough. Next time you’re handed a housing contract and told the neighborhood association is “pretty chill,” maybe double-check that clause!

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[photo courtesy of BRODACIOUS FILMS, MEDIA TEAM, BLUE FINCH FILMS RELEASING]

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