Post-apocalyptic movies and TV shows typically have the main hero be a tough, strong male lead, whether it’s Kevin Costner from Waterworld, Chris Evans in Snowpiercer, or Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator film series. But, what if the main hero was an everyday woman who was already struggling with a health battle? This hero exists in A Quiet Place: Day One, as played by the talented Lupita Nyong'o. After watching it for the first time, I think we all need to appreciate the apocalyptic horror film for having its main hero be a cancer patient.
It's Refreshing To See A Cancer Patient As A Hero In A Post-Apocalyptic World
In movies where the main character has cancer, a common trend is having their illness define them like in The Fault in Our Stars, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and 50/50. In the case of Sam from A Quiet Place: Day One, she’s a main character who just happens to have terminal cancer. However, she doesn’t use her cancer as an excuse to give up so easily against the aliens. At least, not before she gets her favorite pizza.
As supersonic-hearing aliens invade New York City, her illness takes a backseat as she’s in the middle of surviving them. Despite the battle of chronic pain she experiences throughout the movie, she’s not portrayed as fragile. Just like Sam does what she can to treat her cancer, she’ll do what must be done to protect herself and her new friend, Eric, so they can head to her hometown of Harlem one last time.
Sam Is A Relatable Character, Too
According to the National Cancer Institute, about two million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year. That means that among the two million cancer patients who may have seen A Quiet Place: Day One, many may see themselves mirrored in Sam. She’s a poet who's had terminal cancer for the past two years and is spending the rest of her days in a hospice center. However, she’s bitter about how her last days are being spent and would rather be happy in her hometown of Harlem.
Cancer patients will be able to relate to the scene when Eric reads Sam’s poem about how life becomes a ticking clock waiting for time to keep getting shorter. Nyong’o herself felt that filming the sci-horror film was “therapeutic” for her after the death of her Black Panther co-star Chadwick Boseman, who passed away from cancer in 2020. She said it was through his dying so young at 43 that she realized how we live life with intent once we're aware of our mortality.
It's Also An Intense Plot Technique That Raises The Movie's Stakes
We see that Sam wears fentanyl patches to treat her chronic pain. When the alien invasion happens while she’s in New York City, the patches on her body get worn out and she’s forced to dispose of them. This means that not only does she have to outrun murderous aliens, but she’s in a battle with her own body in the process. It’s easy to worry for Sam if the side effects of her terminal illness will make her helpless towards the aliens.
Killer aliens threatening the existence of humanity allow the stakes for Sam's time on Earth to be heightened. Life just became more precious as each sudden sound made could be her and Eric's last.
It Challenges The Stereotypes Of On-Screen Cancer Portrayal
It’s very rare in the best horror movies of all time or the best action movies that you’ll get the main character as a hero who happens to have cancer. These characters appear more in tear-jerking dramas with the film’s plot revolving around their cancer battles.
In the case here, Sam knows there’s more going on in the world than her deteriorating health and chooses to focus on surviving an alien invasion without her cancer being a factor not to. Compared to the post-apocalyptic movie focusing on her suffering, we see Sam’s self-reliance navigating her and Eric through a dangerous alien-infested New York City. Instead of being a damsel in distress, Sam chooses to be a hero to Eric, helping him keep calm and prioritizing his safety over her own.
There's An Empowering Message Of Sam's Heroism
Sam could have easily let her cancer dictate whether or not she could survive an alien apocalypse. Instead, she decided to let the strength of her human spirit take over. Audiences seeing the hero of the Quiet Place prequel fighting cancer and aliens simultaneously can feel inspired and empowered knowing someone in a fragile health state still tackles life’s problems head-on.
Despite any physical pain that Sam was feeling throughout the movie, she still found the energy to do what needed to be done to save her and Eric without any excuses. She was able to escape aliens through the tunnels with him and created a distraction so that Eric could go on the boat with the other survivors. Doing all of this while battling cancer shows that bravery comes in many forms. We don’t always need to be physically tough beings to survive catastrophic situations. It's about persistence and doing what feels right to you.
Day One Has An Important Lesson To Cherish The Little Things
Sam’s life was already precious enough living with terminal cancer and not knowing exactly how much time she had. Now that an external force is looking to wipe out humanity in general, it just gives you an excuse to cherish the little things. Before the aliens came, Sam wanted pizza from her favorite pizzeria in Harlem. Then when aliens dropped down, she knew she had to get that pizza before she couldn’t have it anymore.
With Sam and Eric’s new reality being that they can’t make a sound without risking discovery from the aliens, they learn to appreciate what's no longer there. Sam can’t play the piano or turn on music without the aliens hearing. Having a conversation with Eric needs to be either under streaming water or in a whisper. On the bright side, it means the two survivors can focus on their bond without technology getting in the way. Eric helps Sam feel alive again, getting her pizza and entertaining her at a Harlem jazz club. It’s little things like these that can make a person smile.
What makes A Quiet Place: Day One’s hero so special is not just because Sam happens to have cancer. Despite all of the health challenges she battles, she still has a lot of fight and spirit left in her to outsmart vicious aliens. Audiences can see themselves in this sci-fi horror hero and find inner strength to overcome life’s external challenges and the battles within themselves. You can watch this generation’s new hero thwarting aliens in the prequel film with your Paramount+ subscription.
