Late-Night Terror in Two Minutes: Silent Reply Delivers Chilling Thrills in Minimalist Horror Short
In a cinematic age dominated by franchise horror and sprawling thrillers, filmmaker Trevor Bailey proves that fear doesn’t need time to linger. His new short film, Silent Reply, clocks in at just two minutes — and it’s already making waves across the indie circuit for its sharp tension, minimalist storytelling, and eerie sound design.
Set entirely around a single late-night phone call, Silent Reply explores how easily the digital tools we trust can turn on us. The story centers on a woman, voiced by Trina Deuhart, who receives a seemingly routine call that gradually morphs into something far more sinister. With the voice of an automated system and an uncredited performance by a chilling intruder, the film weaves together fear and ambiguity in a tightly controlled narrative.
Described as a “whisper in the dark” by early reviewers, the film uses silence and sound design — crafted by Hugo Françon — to unsettle rather than overwhelm. There are no jump scares, no elaborate effects. Just a creeping sense of dread that builds until the final moment.
Trevor Bailey, who wrote, directed, and produced the short, said the idea came from a real-life glitch on his phone’s voicemail system. “It made me realize how much trust we place in these invisible voices — and how helpless we feel when they stop behaving the way they should,” Bailey said in a statement.
Despite its brief runtime, Silent Reply is already garnering attention from horror festivals and online audiences alike. With its lean structure and psychological edge, it’s part of a growing trend of micro-shorts that prove horror doesn’t need to be long to leave a lasting impact.
Whether you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, audio horror, or just looking for two minutes of expertly crafted unease, Silent Reply is well worth the watch — if you’re brave enough to pick up the call.
