In the comedy-horror-siege film Hold the Fort, young couple Jenny (Haley Leary) and Lucas (Chris Mayers) move from the big city to a seemingly pristine suburban neighbourhood. Lucas is a world-class red-flag-ignorer, while Jenny is adept at spotting signs that something is off. When perky moustachioed homeowners' association head Jerry (Julian Smith) invites them to an equinox party, he assures them “it’s to DIE for!” in the tone of Ned Flanders from a Simpsons Halloween special. Jenny immediately asks: “Why would you say it like that?”
Plot and Character Dynamics
At the party, roles reverse: an ample helping of local moonshine blunts Jenny’s caution, leaving Lucas to notice they are in the early stages of a wacky horror film. The film jumps straight into action, with straightforwardly drawn characters replacing elaborate backstory or scene setting, allowing a lean 75-minute runtime. According to the review, this is a point in its favour for viewers wanting a movie to start at 9pm and still get an early night.
Strengths and Weaknesses
On the downside, the breezily sketched characters don’t earn a place in anyone’s heart, creating a sense of weightlessness. It doesn’t feel like anything happening massively matters, even as the ensemble cast scream in shock and meet grisly deaths regularly. The horror is in the tradition of high-end internet sketch comedy: if one joke doesn’t work, another arrives in about 30 seconds. Investment in individual characters’ survival is moot; viewers are just as happy with an entertaining death as a hard-won survival.
Visual Effects and Release
With enough practical gore to keep things interesting, alongside cheap but judiciously employed digital effects, Hold the Fort is lightweight but zippy and enjoyable genre fare. The film is on digital platforms from 29 June.
