A Quiet Place: Day One's Final Song: What It Is & Real Meaning Explained

A Quiet Place: Day One has left viewers wondering more about what final song plays at the film’s end. A prequel to John Krasinski’s two-film series, A Quiet Place: Day One centers on Samira (Lupita N’Yongo), a terminally ill cancer patient living in hospice with her cat, Frodo. Unlike the other films in the Quiet Place franchise, Day One is set in New York City, which adds a new layer of terror to the horror premise, which sees an alien species able to track and kill humans and animals based on the sounds they make.

As the title of the film implies, Day One chronicles the genesis of the world-altering invasion, just as Sam and everyone else are learning about the aliens’ attraction to noise. Needless to say, sound design plays a huge role in the film, as does music — or lack thereof. In A Quiet Place: Day One’s ending, one song in particular takes center stage, and, in function, irrevocably reshapes Sam’s harrowing story. In fact, Day One’s utter lack of sound makes those musical moments even more resonant — for the movie’s characters and themes.

Sam Plays Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” During A Quiet Place: Day One’s Final Scene

In A Quiet Place: Day One’s final scene, Sam plays Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” on her iPod — a move that ultimately leads to her death. Toward the end of the movie, Sam, Frodo, and their apocalypse companion, Eric (Joseph Quinn), discover that there are boats taking survivors away from the alien-infested city. Unfortunately, the creatures descend upon them. Prior to finding the boats, Eric helps Sam complete her bucket list, which involves visiting a jazz club from her childhood — a spot her dad would play — and enjoying pizza from an iconic New York spot.

When the creatures block their escape to the boats, Sam, feeling fulfilled, decides to make a sacrificial play. Sam smashes car windows, causing alarms to blare and distract the creatures. The move allows Eric and Frodo to escape to safety — something Sam had planned. Later, Sam walks through the empty Manhattan streets, playing Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” on an iPod. After a moment, she removes her earphones, allowing the music to blare and the creatures to find her.

The Meaning Of Sam Listening To “Feeling Good” In A Quiet Place: Day One

Music plays a key role in Sam’s life. As she tells Eric, one of her fondest childhood memories involved a jazz club. The Nina Simone song’s iconic — “it’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life” — capture something of the Quiet Place films’ post-apocalyptic world. The lyrics acknowledge the natural beauty of the world, while Simone declares, “And I’m feeling good.” The song indicates that Same has made peace with her fate.

Before the creatures arrived, she was terminally ill. Thanks to Eric, she was able to have a few good and lasting memories. Most importantly, she makes the decision to call the creatures. While listening to the empowering Nina Simone song, Sam chooses the ending to her story. Although it’s tragic in some ways, A Quiet Place: Day One gives its protagonist a final bit of agency during an otherwise bleak moment.

A Quiet Place: Day One

A Quiet Place: Day One is a spin-off of the A Quiet Place franchise conceived by John Krasinski. The film is set at the beginning of the invasion as humanity scrambles to survive, before the events of the original film, with Lupita Nyong’O leading the cast, directed by Michael Sarnoski.

Director

Michael Sarnoski

Release Date

June 28, 2024

Studio(s)

Paramount Pictures , Platinum Dunes , Sunday Night Productions

Distributor(s)

Paramount Pictures

Writers

Michael Sarnoski

Runtime

100 Minutes

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