A young couple, Lucas (Chris Mayers) and Jenny (Haley Leary), have just moved into their new home in the close-knit community of Gruber Hills. Jenny isn’t too happy that Lucas has signed up for the homeowners’ association, particularly since they’ve been invited to an annual party. What they should have done was read the terms and conditions of the HOA, as it contained a small entry that told them that the houses were built near a hellmouth and once a year, they have to help fend off a barrage of monsters from the depths of the underworld.
Ably written and directed by William Bagley (from a story by Scott Hawkins), this brief and bloody romp satirises neighbourhood politics and throws a whole load of gore at the walls. Hilariously, Lucas also ends up with more than his fair share of plasma on his face in an Evil Dead II or Brain Dead fashion. The residents are a fine selection of stereotypes, but when it comes to defending their homes, they kick ass. Their secret weapon, a hulking brute affectionately known as McScruffy (Hamid-Reza Benjamin Thompson), gets pretty much incapacitated straight away, meaning Lucas has to step up and stop trying to run away.
Bagley succeeds in making us care for the motley bunch, despite the slight characterisation the running time allows. This also means there’s no fat, and Bagley balances the humour and horror perfectly. While it’s likely to play best with a crowd, it’s a lot of fun and will definitely find a cult following.
HOLD THE FORT screened at Fantasia Film Festival and plays at FrightFest on August 23rd.
