Everyone knows that HOAs are inherently evil… but what if they weren’t? William Bagley’s Hold the Fort puts the ha-ha’s in horror when a couple moves in to a new neighborhood with a lot more gruesome guests than they expected. Turns out, the HOA actually does serve a purpose.
After moving to the suburbs, a young couple finds themselves trapped in an epic battle between their new HOA and an onslaught of monsters from hell.
Hold the Fort, IMDB
Lucas (Chris Mayers) and Jenny (Haley Leary) move into their dream home, much to Jenny’s chagrin; while Lucas is excited, Jenny is majorly weary of the HOA, all made worse when HOA President Jerry (Julian Smith) invites them to their annual “Equinox” party that same day. More confusion arises as other neighbors at the party speak cryptically about that night’s events — then the weapons start being handed out. Apparently, the HOA serves a very important function: keeping the onslaught of deadly creatures at bay. Witches, vampires, aliens, and a ton of other fantastical monsters work their way through the group, killing indiscriminately with blood and gore galore; Lucas and Jenny must join to “hold the fort,” lest they want to die themselves.
Hold the Fort was just the summertime extravaganza I was looking for. The jokes hit every time. The blood splatter was all over the place. The monsters looked terrifying, and the effects didn’t look fake. The whole story was genius. Taking something as hated as an HOA (and HOA President, I might add) and making them the good guys was a bold move, but it paid off. I almost kind of want to live in this neighborhood now!
Speaking of the HOA president, Jerry was a standout character for sure. He was no-nonsense but still knew how to have fun. And even though his appearance and demeanor screamed more “nerd” than “badass,” Jerry certainly held his own against the monsters — despite being essentially paralyzed for most of it. Really, all of the characters in Hold the Fort had time to shine with Lucas and Jenny learning the ropes and friendly neighbors Ted (Levi Burdick) and Annette (Michelle l Lamb) offering comic relief, a dependable fighting pair, and one spicy jar of moonshine.
But I would be remiss to leave out the baddies too. Werewolves, witches, Kung Fu creatures, and more were all here; it felt like a neighborhood version Cabin in the Woods where every trope made its way out of that portal and down the street to Fort Gruber. I’d say it’s not easy to have all of these creatures together in one movie and still retain a solid, sensible story, but Hold the Fort did so flawlessly.
I don’t know what I was expecting from Hold the Fort, but I got way more than I could imagine with extremely likeable characters, a killer story, and my favorite monsters all in one. If you like classic creatures amongst weeping fog and glowing haze, this is for you. If you like your horror with a hefty side of jokes, this is for you. If you like sticking it to your local HOA, this is for you. and if you are HOA, this is for you too. Hold the Fort was just plain fun.
Hold the Fort is now available to rent or purchase on Digital HD, including Apple TV, Prime Video, and Fandango at Home. For more, visit the film on Instagram as well as writer/director William Bagley!
