When fans were first introduced to A Quiet Place in 2018, they met a family trying to survive on an isolated farm in silence after blind aliens take over the planet. Now, with the third installment, viewers have an opportunity to explore how this apocalypse began. A Quiet Place: Day One does not include the main characters Evelyn and Lee Abbott, portrayed by Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, or their children, Marcus and Regan, played by Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds. Instead, it focuses on Samira, known as Sam, brought to life by Lupita Nyong’o.

What is ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ About?

The unique prequel/sequel starts in New York with Sam very early, revealing her terminally ill diagnosis. The film’s focal point has moved into a hospice facility, though she is still active and determined to make a trip to the city to visit an adored Harlem pizzeria. The location holds a sacred place in her heart, as it is across the street from a jazz club that her father used to perform in. Sam does not display much optimism about overcoming her condition. Instead, she is set on the idea that she will not survive her disease, which appears to be cancer, though it is not exactly confirmed. However, it’s evident Sam has no clue she will encounter aliens falling from the sky. Though, she is surprisingly calm and determined to keep herself, her pet cat, and newly acquainted stranger, Eric, portrayed by Joseph Quinn, safe during the chaos.

What is the “Quiet Place?” in ‘A Quiet Place: Day One?’

As Sam, her caregiver, and fellow hospice patients are leaving a theater following a show in the city, they are first made aware that there is an emergency taking place. However, desperate to reach the pizza joint, Sam takes a bus, leaving them behind. Unfortunately, she quickly finds herself in peril when her bus explodes, and the gravity of the situation is unveiled. Under a haze of smoke and debris, Sam is running through the smog as the aliens begin wreaking havoc on the area.

She ends up back at the theater, which serves as the first “quiet place” where other survivors are huddled together. All of them have quickly caught on to the program, and remaining mute is the only way to stay alive. In this place, Sam is reunited with both her caregiver and adored cat, though the aliens quickly find the mass hiding spot, as even the most subtle noise sets them off. This is where viewers get a first chance at Henri, portrayed by Djimon Hounsou, who has a more prominent role in A Quiet Place II. His position as a leader is quickly outlined as he tries his best to keep all silent and alive.

Even in the horror of it all, Sam remains determined to get her pizza. As the remaining survivors come out of their hiding places seeking answers, they find themselves under attack once again by the aliens. This is when Eric comes into play, seeing Sam as a partner in their quest to outrun the relentless monsters. Sam, the much more street-savvy of the two, must help Eric overcome his fear, even in the face of his own morbid reality.

Together, they run for their lives, finally ending up at the pizzeria. To no surprise, it is vacant, along with the jazz club, though the pair are still satisfied after finding a nearby spot to dine in. Their brief bliss is cut short when Eric begins to realize that Sam is slowly preparing to say goodbye to him. Same coaches Eric on how to seek safety at a nearby seaport, where Henri and others are boarding boats to escape the aliens and find solitude elsewhere.

‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ Ending Explained

To help Eric make it to the seaport and boat before it is too late, Sam quickly devises a plan to distract the aliens long enough for him to make it. After hugging her beloved fur baby goodbye, she hands him off to Eric and then stages a daring plan that consists of breaking car windows. This leads the aliens to chase her down as Eric and the cat make a beeline for the vessel. However, the sound of him running turns the alien’s attention to Eric, who just narrowly makes it to the water, which the creatures cannot survive in.

As he looks back, he and Sam exchange a final stare in a somber moment as he gets to safety while she remains back with the aliens. However, she finds solace in the dilapidated jazz club, where she discovers an image of herself and her father from her childhood. Elsewhere on the watercraft, Eric locates a handwritten note in the pocket of the sweater Sam left him, urging him to watch over her cat and thanking him for helping her make it to the pizzeria and club.

The final scene flashes to Sam wandering the empty streets with her headphones connected to a stereo. However, sealing her own fate, as her illness continues to weigh on her, Sam bravely unplugs the headphones, allowing the music to blare out loudly and summon one of the vicious aliens. This ending is grim, though appears to be a testament to Sam’s desire to end her life on her terms. Seeing as though her illness would soon take hold and having no one else left on earth to care for her, she chose to die rather than allow her demise to be dictated. This show of resilience is felt throughout the film.

Lupita Nyong'o "A Quiet Place"

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