Warning: This post contains spoilers for A Quiet Place: Day One

A Quiet Place: Day One’s ending sees Lupita Nyong’o’s Sam listening to Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good.” Written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, A Quiet Place: Day One’s reviews have been positive for the most part, and the prequel spin-off follows the first few days of the alien creatures’ arrival. Sam and Eric arrive at Patsy’s only to realize that it was destroyed, so they go to the jazz club Sam’s dad used to bring her to as a kid. Eric tries to make Sam feel better by pretending to be a musician, and later bringing her pizza.

After some time together, Sam and Eric take to the streets with Sam’s cat. Sam gives Eric her yellow sweater as she starts banging on cars and setting off alarms so that the creatures will hear and come after her. This gives Eric enough time to head to the dock with the cat, running to reach the water before the creatures catch up to him. He makes it, jumping into the river and getting to the boat. Meanwhile, Sam wanders the street listening to music. She pulls out the earphone jack, the sound alerting the creatures as they appear behind her.

Does Sam Die In A Quiet Place: Day One’s Ending?

It’s both ambiguous and not

Sam removing her earphones and letting Nina Simone’s music play out loud was purposeful. Sam knew A Quiet Place’s alien creatures would be alerted by the sound. Day One ends before Sam’s death is shown onscreen, which draws her death into question. But Sam drawing the creatures to her meant she knew they would attack her, all but confirming her death. It’s hard to believe Sam would run away considering her decision.

While it’s possible she managed to escape and could appear in A Quiet Place Part III, Sam’s death at the hands of the alien hunters seems inevitable. Teasing her death rather than showing it is also more effective for A Quiet Place: Day One’s ending. The character had already been through a lot and seen death all around her in the few days of the aliens’ destruction. She was at peace at the end of the film and showing her death would have undermined that.

Sam’s Decision To Call The Aliens In A Quiet Place: Day One’s Ending Explained

Sam risks her life making noise throughout the streets so that Eric can catch the boat headed for the island — the same island where Djimon Hounsou’s A Quiet Place Part II’s character is first introduced. Sam playing Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” is symbolic of how she felt at the end of A Quiet Place prequel. She was at peace, having finally felt alive again after so long of feeling defeated while waiting for death to claim her.

In her final moments, Sam is the happiest she’s been in a long time. Sam was able to return home, to discuss memories of her father, and have some pizza. Crucially, she’d made a friend in Eric, who genuinely cared for her. She was close to dying for a long time, having been in hospice care, so it’s possible she felt it was her time to go. Sam got the chance to feel alive again, and perhaps she wanted to go out on a high note, and die on her own terms with no fear.

Why Sam Gives Eric Her Yellow Sweater Before He Leaves

Despite not wanting Eric to follow her around initially, Sam grew quite close to him throughout A Quiet Place: Day One. And though it was a wordless exchange, Sam likely gave Eric her yellow sweater for sentimental reasons. It was something Eric could keep to remember her.

It was tangible, a piece of herself that would provide him comfort outside of her cat. Sam could’ve easily slipped her note into Eric’s pocket before he left, but the act of giving him something that belonged to her was a more intimate act, one loaded with emotion.

Where Is The Second Boat To The Island At The End Of A Quiet Place: Day One?

There’s only one boat despite confirmation of a second in A Quiet Place Part II

In A Quiet Place Part II, it was confirmed there were two boats that successfully made it to the island. There were a lot more boats and people, but the noise of boarding the boats drew the creatures to the water, and they killed almost everyone there, leaving only two boats that were headed to the island. However, the end of A Quiet Place: Day One only shows one of the boats mentioned and none of the boarding chaos that accompanied it.

It’s possible the second boat had already sailed and made it to the island. It could also be that the second boat was simply offscreen, or that the filmmakers simply forgot to include it. But the fact that it wasn’t prominent in the final moments of A Quiet Place: Day One is odd, especially since the initial boarding process isn’t shown at all.

How A Quiet Place: Day One Sets Up A Quiet Place 3

Eric’s survival suggests his story will continue

A Quiet Place: Day One sees Eric make it onto the boat, which pretty much confirms he made it to the island alongside Djimon Hounsou’s character. With that in mind, it’s possible A Quiet Place Part III, which was confirmed following the box office success of A Quiet Place Part II, will include Eric. He could appear as one of the island’s survivors following the creatures’ attack at the end of A Quiet Place Part II.

Eric was a big part of Day One and it’s unlikely his story would just end after surviving such a harrowing experience. If Hounsou could have a role in the prequel, then it makes sense that Eric could show up in the fourth film in some capacity. The fact that Eric made it onto Hounsou’s boat specifically suggests his story isn’t over just yet. Eric is now fully immersed in the world of A Quiet Place and it’s possible Part III will give us even more information about his life and what he’s been up to in the intervening years.

The Real Meaning Of A Quiet Place: Day One’s Ending

A Quiet Place: Day One focuses a lot on people’s humanity and wanting to feel alive and normal despite a situation being anything but. Throughout the film, Sam and Eric are scared at various points, but the message is ultimately to enjoy the moments in life that are fleeting, to overcome fear, and do the things that make one feel full of life again. When things get bad, a reminder of how good it is to feel alive is needed.

The arrival of the alien creatures may have changed what it means to live in the world, but Day One goes beyond simply surviving it. A Quiet Place: Day One’s ending also showcases the power of friendship and not being alone. Sam pushed Eric away, but he was adamant about not going through such a devastating experience without someone by his side. It’s a lesson that Sam learned. She’d been on her own for a long time; she’d forgotten what it was like to be around people who weren’t only there for you because they were being paid to be.