In the past, this reviewer has grumbled over clearly extortionate factor fees when living in flats. But while all the charges for general repairs, additions of anti-pigeon spikes, and the odd lick of paint were annoying, none of the costs were for a cache of ammunition for fighting off the hordes of Hell. Such is the situation new homeowners Lucas (Chris Mayers) and Jenny (Haley Leary) find themselves in William Bagley’s rather charming, if ultimately fairly disposable horror comedy.

Lucas and Chris are delighted with their new home in the suburbs. Lucas especially is keen to ingratiate himself with the neighbours, particularly suspiciously jaunty, Flanders-esque chair of the Homeowners’ Assocation Jerry (Julian Smith). Accepting an invitation to a HOA party, the couple discover that the ‘party’ is an annual stand-off against the various denizens spilling from a portal to hell. It’s a baptism of fire to say the least, but does limit the necessity for small talk.

Hold the Fort is a broad, unpretentious horror comedy that never comes close to outstaying its welcome at a brisk 76 minutes. Broad slapstick, silly puns, and lo-fi gore are the order of the day. As such, it’s a lot of fun in its way; the premise somewhere between a much more violent Buffy the Vampire Slayer and a much sillier Assault on Precinct 13. It’s breathlessly paced, and makes the most of what is mainly its single location, and the night time setting covers up any shortcomings with the visual effects.

Where the film is less successful is in its tone. The film races to begin killing off some of the more peripheral characters, and then attempts to shoehorn in some pathos once a few more central ones meet their end. It simply doesn’t land, as up to that point the film seemed to actively shy away from any real impact, with a solidy playful atmosphere. That’s not to say that the cast don’t play their parts to the hilt, just that there’s little beyond a few broadly-sketched traits in the way of characterisation.

It’s unlikely that Hold the Fort will live long in the memory, but during its brief, chaotic duration it’s a lot of fun and gets a lot of mileage from its justaposition between the petty machinations of the HOA and the serious business of demon slaying, often within the same scene. It’s an otherwise slight and frothy affair, but there’s a lot to be said for a scrappy little genre film that knows exactly what it is, and is happy to wear its influences on its sleeve.

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