Fantasia 25' HOA Horror Gets a Blood-Soaked Makeover in Hold The Fort - Review

New homeowners face demons, werewolves, and neighborhood madness in William Bagley’s chaotic horror-comedy Hold The Fort.

REVIEW: Hold The Fort (Dir. William Bagley) – Suburbia Meets Splatter in This HOA Horror-Comedy

★ ★ ½ ☆☆

One of the most enduring status symbols in modern Western life is homeownership—and with it comes the less glamorous baggage: Homeowners Associations, bureaucracy, and awkward neighbors who smile a little too wide. In Hold The Fort, writer-director William Bagley takes that cultural tension and flips it on its gory, satirical head, delivering a horror-comedy that feels like The ’Burbs by way of Evil Dead.

Starring Chris Mayers as Lucas and Hayley Leary as Jenny, the film follows a young couple who’ve just moved into a seemingly normal suburban community. But instead of welcome baskets, they’re greeted with a hellish HOA mandate: every year, monsters—yes, actual monsters—descend upon the neighborhood, and residents are expected to hold the fort. Literally.

There’s something refreshingly chaotic about Bagley’s approach. Sure, there’s the expected commentary on housing authorities, mortgage anxiety, and the soul-sucking absurdity of HOA life, but Hold The Fort delivers it with a healthy dose of blood, witches, demons, and deadpan one-liners. Bagley’s smart enough to layer his modern themes beneath the practical gore, making this a love letter to creature features with a satirical bite.

Where the film stumbles is in its execution—specifically the action elements. The gunplay and artillery-heavy scenes lean on unimpressive CGI that feels more like a post-production workaround than a stylistic choice. It’s a jarring contrast to the otherwise strong use of practical effects in the monster and gore department. For a film so invested in its indie, DIY charm, the digital muzzle flashes and bullet ballets end up feeling flat and distracting.

Tonally, Hold The Fort walks a tightrope. It’s popcorn fare through and through—campy, chaotic, and knowingly cheeky—but sometimes pushes the quirk factor too far. With a circus-like cast of characters, many of whom are introduced only to be slaughtered moments later, the emotional stakes get lost in the shuffle. That said, the energy is undeniable. This is a film that knows its audience and leans hard into the midnight movie vibe.

Is Hold The Fort perfect? Not even close. But it’s scrappy, ambitious, and full of monster-movie mayhem that’ll go down smooth with the right crowd. Bagley has something to say, even if it’s buried under a pile of demon guts and HOA complaints.

Premiering at Fantasia, Hold The Fort earns a 2.5 out of 5 stars from us at Horror Movies Uncut. It’s not a home run, but it’s a hell of a housewarming party.

Studio: Blue Finch Films

Director/Writer: William Bagley

Story by: Scott Hawkins

Producers: Matt Dodd, Luke Williams, Tim Reis, Julian Smith

Cast: Chris Mayers, Haley Leary, Julian Smith