It was first released on October 31, 2013, at the South by Southwest film festival and stars Tony Vespe as Tony Phillips, a young teenager's love for Halloween.

Unlike her prior feature-length films, Grow Up, Tony Phillips does not feature any supernatural elements seen in past films such as Pathogen or My Sucky Teen Romance.

[2] While writing the script, Hagins wanted to focus on the transition between adult and child that occurs with Halloween, which she felt was often overlooked in many films.

[7] Hagins experienced some difficulty with shooting, as some businesses already had Christmas decorations up but decided to work them into the script as a plot point.

[9] Hagins received praise for the film's acting and for what the Daily Texan saw as "genuine truths about how high school can dissolve the most intense friendships".