How a small horror collective rose to redefine modern cinematic terror
In short: What began in 2011 as a group of friends making internet pranks and short films evolved into a powerhouse production house. From the found-footage scares of V/H/S to revitalizing the Scream franchise, Radio Silence has mastered the art of the high-concept, high-reward horror hit.
The origins of Radio Silence Productions lie in a creative collective known as Chad, Matt & Rob. Established in 2011, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Justin Martinez, and Chad Villella's outfit concentrated on found-footage shorts and interactive adventures, including the 'Mountain Devil Prank Fails Horribly' clip. This early work caught the attention of producer Brad Miska, leading the group to contribute the '10/31/98' segment to the V/H/S franchise. The group's early roots also include a series of interactive adventures. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, a graduate of UC Santa Cruz, previously played guitar in the punk band Link 80.
The group's transition to feature films demonstrated a significant knack for commercial success. Their 2014 film, Devil's Due, was produced for $7 million but earned a global box office of $36.9 million, earning high praise from director Eli Roth. Later, the 2019 black comedy horror Ready or Not achieved even greater scale, grossing over $57 million against a modest $6 million budget. This success was driven by a signature style that blends subversive humor with visceral thrills. The 2019 film's success was bolstered by a cast including Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, and Andie MacDowell. This particular production was released by Fox Searchlight Pictures.
While the core creative partnership has seen changes—with Martinez and Villella eventually leaving the group—the brand has remained a staple of the horror genre. Their influence extends to major franchise revitalizations, including directing the fifth installment of the Scream series, released in January 2022, and its sequel, Scream VI, in March 2023. Through anthology contributions to the V/H/S series and their own productions, the collective continues to shape the landscape of contemporary genre cinema. The collective's reach also includes executive producing the 2021 anthology Phobias. Additionally, they have contributed to several later V/H/S installments, such as V/H/S/99 and V/H/S/85.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Radio Silence Productions
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