The Entire A Quiet Place Timeline
Like a killer creature lurking in the dark waiting to strike, the John Krasinski-directed film "A Quiet Place" took the box office by surprise upon its release. A truly game-changing film, "A Quiet Place" focuses on one of our greatest senses and exploits it to horrific effect. The simple reverberations of sounds both big and small have never been more adrenaline-inducing and fear-stoking. The film follows the Abbott family as they simply attempt to survive in a new world where Earth has become the victim of an onslaught of primal alien creatures. The only thing that ensures their safety is their ability to keep as deathly quiet as possible. The new invading terrors that stalk the world are blind but have an ultra-keen sense of hearing capable of hunting their prey swiftly at the drop of a hat — or maybe more appropriately, a pin. Creating even one small sound could seal your fate faster than you can say, "clever girl."
The success of "A Quiet Place" has positioned the film as a bankable property with sequels and spin-offs planned well into the future — including "A Quiet Place: Day One." The Abbotts' journey is certainly a perilous one. The specter of death is always looming closely behind. But the world also has its survivors beyond the Abbott family. Surely, they aren't the only ones smart enough to avoid being eviscerated by the alien visitors. As the family is forced to leave their home, that fact becomes clear for better or for worse.
The "Quiet Place" films currently available to us present a timetable of events destined to expand with future installments. Of course, the Abbotts' story begins with "Day 1" — the day of the invasion. Let's examine the events of "A Quiet Place" and its world in chronological order.
Before day 1
When audiences first meet the Abbott family, the mysterious aliens have already been lurking around Earth for more than a year. Very little is known about the beginning of the invasion. In "A Quiet Place," only small newspaper clippings are shown documenting the aliens' arrival, and just a small glimpse of the invasion is depicted in "A Quiet Place Part II," which shows people running for their lives amid a children's baseball game in the small, quiet town that the Abbotts call home. "A Quiet Place: Day One" aims to answer the questions regarding how and why these creatures invaded Earth, and that includes going back to before aliens roamed the planet.
The official social media account @AQuietPlace posted the film's first trailer to X, formerly known as Twitter, on February 7, 2024, with the promising caption, "Discover why our world went quiet." The trailer features Sam (Lupita Nyong'o) walking in a bustling New York City, full of pedestrians, car horns, and buskers ... but everything changes when aliens crash-land into the Big Apple. By this sneak peek of what will probably be the opening minutes of the film, audiences already know they can expect plenty of glimpses into how the world looked shortly before it changed forever, therefore helping to connect the dots that lead up to the Abbotts and their story of survival.
Day 1
The events of "A Quiet Place" all begin at ground zero, or D-day — the day an object seen entering the Earth's atmosphere heralded the coming apocalypse. Like any ordinary day, the Abbotts are simply watching their son, Marcus (Noah Jupe), play baseball with his team. Another local and family friend to the Abbotts, Emmett (Cillian Murphy) is also there watching his son. Notably, Regan (Millicent Simmonds), the Abbotts' deaf daughter, teaches Emmett sign language for "dive" when trying to motion the command to his son sprinting for home plate. When the Abbott patriarch, Lee (John Krasinski) stops by a local convenience store, a news broadcast describes an explosive impact site in China. Meanwhile, as the baseball game forges onward, an asteroid-like object is seen by the entire town barreling through the Earth's atmosphere and crash-landing somewhere in the distance.
Lee, alongside the rest of the families at the baseball diamond, take this ominous omen as a sign to leave the game in case something is amiss. He takes Regan, and heads for his truck parked along the town's main street while Evelyn (Emily Blunt) shepherds the family's two young boys into her vehicle in an effort to head home. Quickly, and without warning, a creature appears on main street in front of Lee and begins attacking and viciously killing everybody around it. Lee and Regan head for a local restaurant where they take shelter alongside other townsfolk.
Meanwhile, Evelyn attempts to steer her car clear of a creature pummeling other vehicles on the road. After escaping the restaurant due to a creature attack, Lee and Regan reunite with the rest of the family, but not before witnessing a local police officer attempt to shoot one of the creatures to no avail.
Day 1 in New York City
The first two films in the "A Quiet Place" franchise feature country views and small towns that were the heartbeat of the area before aliens took over. "A Quiet Place: Day One" takes the story to a whole different location and answers the question, "What would an extraterrestrial invasion look like in New York City?" Especially given its characteristically loud atmosphere. Lupita Nyong'o told Entertainment Weekly, "This notion of a quiet New York is one that will arrest many. ... When you live there, you block out all the sound quite naturally. ... I realized how hard it would be to survive in a world that required you to be silent in that particular city."
The quiet is not the only challenge for concrete jungle residents. Those living in the countryside — like the Abbotts — may have to quickly adjust to relying on their farmland as their main food source after stores and major hubs are abandoned. But this won't be the case for those dwelling in a major cities, where growing produce is limited to small planters and the occasional terrace garden.
The sudden stop in New York City's fast pace will also be a traumatic adjustment for characters like Eric (Joseph Quinn), a man in a business suit, who creates an alliance with Sam. The survivors search a subway station and travel among other familiar New York City sites, which should give audiences an idea of how the world fell to the alien invasion.
Day 1 through the eyes of the man on the island
While "A Quiet Place: Day One" introduces plenty of new characters, one familiar face makes an appearance. Djimon Hounsou was first introduced as "Man on Island" during "A Quiet Place Part II." He appears toward the end of the film when Regan Abbott and Emmett come across a community of survivors, including the mysterious man who explains how he got there by recalling the early moments of the invasion. "We were in the city when we heard the hurricane sirens. Once they knew they couldn't swim, the National Guard were told to start loading people onto boats. ... So as soon as people saw the first one get out safe, well, everyone just started pushing forward," he said, noting that 12 boats were at the dock with only two leaving that day.
This story offers some context as to why he appears in New York City during "A Quiet Place: Day One." Uncovering the backstory of Hounsou's character could lead to even more questions and answers surrounding these aliens and what led to their landing on Earth. Lupita Nyong'o talked to Entertainment Weekly about Hounsou's return to the franchise. "It was really lovely to have him be in the film and to carry the legacy of the previous film," she said.
Day 89
Nearly three months have passed since the day the creatures caused the rapid descent of society into an apocalyptic dystopia. The Abbott family has taken great strides to survive. Lee is established as one who is highly perceptive and a quick learner. On Day 1, he quickly deduced that the creatures were attracted to sound before anyone else and likely learned of their impenetrable armor thanks to the sacrifice of one police officer. Now, the family travels into town on paths they've created using sand. Their bare feet against the sand keeps walking noises minimal. The family heads into a pharmacy in an effort to locate medicine for Marcus who is sick. Beau (Cade Woodward), the youngest child, finds a space shuttle toy that Lee quickly confiscates noting that it is electronic and can create noise.
Regan, attempting to be the good big sister that she is, returns the shuttle toy to Beau without the batteries. However, the crafty little tike nabs the batteries regardless. On the walk back home, Lee and Evelyn hear the most tragic noise they will ever experience — the sound of the toy shuttle going off behind them. Lee attempts to sprint to Beau before a creature emerges from the forest, but it's too late. The Abbott family watches in horror as a creature takes the young boy. This moment ultimately defines Regan's temperament for the remainder of the film. She blames herself for Beau's death, and also perceives that her father doesn't love her because of this loss — a perception that is truly not the case.
Day 472
A little over a year after the death of Beau, the Abbotts are managing to live a quiet (no pun intended) life on their property. Lee and Evelyn have created new living quarters within the farm and only use the basement of their actual home as a workshop of sorts. Lee works on crafting Regan a new and improved hearing aid. Amid the radio, surveillance equipment, and other assorted tools, newspaper clippings can be seen strewn about chronicling the invasion of the alien creatures. Additionally, a whiteboard can be seen where Lee has taken bullet point notes of his knowledge of the creatures. He believes there are three of them stalking the area in which they live, they are nearly indestructible, and the monsters are blind.
The Abbott property is strewn with lights that are capable of acting as a silent alarm system for other members of the family. Evelyn prepares meals as quietly as possible by cooking underground. As the family eats and toils about in silence, it's quickly understood just how detrimental one accidental sound can be. Marcus inadvertently draws a creature close after mistakenly creating noise underscoring the perilous and anxiety-inducing life they've had to endure for over a year.
In addition to all of the worries that exist in the world, Evelyn is pregnant and ready to give birth at a moment's notice. Lee and Evelyn have created a padded wooden box complete with an oxygen mask connected to an air supply that they can place the baby in when the infant becomes noisy. They've certainly prepared for the occasion.
Day 473, part 1
Lee continues teaching his children necessary survival skills. On this particular day, he plans to take his son fishing. Before heading out, Lee gives the new and improved hearing aid to his daughter, Regan. Still, she continues to feel guilt for her brother's death and often feels like Lee keeps her at a distance as a result. To add to her fears, she asks her father to allow her to come with them on the fishing trip and Lee rejects the idea asking her to stay and help her mother.
While checking the fishing traps, Marcus is noticeably nervous. Lee attempts to calm his son's fears by telling him the rushing water overrides smaller sounds making it a safer place than most. He eventually takes Marcus to a waterfall just to show the boy that they can talk openly behind the noise of the waterfall without repercussions from the alien predators. This moment is likely the first time Marcus has heard his father's voice instead of using ASL to communicate since the start of the invasion. Marcus takes the moment to communicate openly and honestly explaining to his father that Regan feels like their dad doesn't love her and that he blames her for Beau. Ultimately, Lee blames himself. Without ever expressly stating it, the look of grief coupled with regret makes it easy for audiences to understand Lee positions himself as his family's protector, something he once failed at.
Day 473, part 2
While Lee and Marcus are off fishing, Regan feels even more alienated after Lee stopped her from joining their excursion. In an effort to seek some comfort and solace, Regan heads off down the path toward the location where Beau was killed by a creature over a year prior. The family has erected a small memorial site and Regan pays her respects to her long-lost brother, ultimately disregarding Lee's request that she stay and help her mother.
Meanwhile, Lee and Marcus begin heading home. Along the way, they encounter an elderly man who appears to be disturbed. After closer inspection, Lee sees that the man is standing over the bloodied body of an elderly lady who was likely the man's wife or companion. Realizing that the man is about to commit suicide, Lee silently pleads with the man to keep quiet so he and his son can pass unharmed. However, the man begins to scream erratically, prompting Lee and Marcus to quickly flee and then hide. Rapidly, a creature emerges from the woods killing the man while Lee and Marcus wait quietly for the monster to move on.
Day 473, part 3 (night)
Back at the Abbott home, Evelyn is suddenly overcome with contraction pains. She hobbles over to their old house and down to the basement to change the lights on the property (to glow red as an S.O.S. sign for her husband and children). As she heads back up the stairs, Evelyn sees that a creature is inside their home. Strategically, she tricks the creature with an alarm so that she can escape up the stairs and take cover in a bathtub where she'll wind up having to give birth.
Lee and Marcus arrive in time to see the red lights and devise a plan to help Evelyn from the creatures now stalking the property. Marcus plans to set off rockets and loud fireworks while Lee heads into their old home in hopes of finding his wife. The loud noise of the rockets enables Evelyn to scream in pain during the birthing process — then, Lee finds her and whisks her away to an underground soundproof room they've created in the barn.
Regan sees the fireworks and rapidly heads back to her home. She and Marcus find themselves trapped in a hiding position as the creatures menacingly pace across the property. Evelyn reaffirms to Lee that he can and will go protect their children and bring them back safely. Lee heads out to do just that but fails to notice that one of the creatures searching for them above ground broke a water pipe that is now leaking into their underground space.
Day 473, part 4 (night)
After being hunted by a blood-thirsty monster on the Abbott property and nearly avoiding death inside of a grain silo, the creature is repelled by Regan's hearing aid after hearing the high-pitch tune. The pair eventually find their father, Lee. However, a creature is hot on their heels and Lee tells the kids to hide in the old broken-down truck. Listening to their father, they do so only for the truck to be assaulted by the monster. Lee is mortally wounded by the killer alien swiping at him. As he stands to his feet, he tells Regan in ASL that he's always loved her before screaming drawing the creature to him. His death and sacrifice was the distraction the children needed to escape.
Regan and Marcus meet up with Evelyn back at the house in the basement and quickly grieve over Lee's death before preparing for the aliens to enter the home. Thankfully, Regan puts two and two together realizing that her hearing aid is what repelled the monster before. She uses that to their advantage and the creature is visibly stunned — making it susceptible to damage from a shotgun blast — which Evelyn delivers. Understanding how to fight back, the family gears up to take on any more challengers attracted by the noise.
Day 474, part 1
As the sun rises after a chaotic and harrowing night. Evelyn and her children pack up what they need and begin heading toward one of the last fire signals they saw on the horizon. They eventually enter a rail yard and activate an alarm set by an onlooker attempting to protect the property from alien creatures. However, the noise of the alarm trap draws attention from the creatures in the area and the family runs. Marcus mistakenly steps into a bear trap and fails trying to restrain his pain and anguish, letting out an agonizing scream while his mother attempts to quiet him. The family quickly makes use of the hearing aid and kills an approaching creature before helping Marcus out of the trap.
The gunshot, however, has attracted more monsters.
A mysterious stranger helps guide the family to safety. Underneath a foundry is a cozy living space where the stranger has a sound proof vault that he has the entire family enter in order to wait out the creatures. During the wait, he keeps his hat on and his head down while telling the family they can't stay — there simply isn't enough food. Evelyn recognizes the man as Emmett, a friend of the family prior to the fall of society. Tragically, he explains that his wife and children have passed away.
Day 474, part 2
Because of Emmett's circumstances, his outlook is rather dour and doesn't feel that there is any hope of other people surviving. Much to the family's surprise, however, Marcus hears the song "Beyond the Sea" playing on the radio. Regan takes this as a sign that other people did survive and are sending a message to go beyond the sea to an island where a safe haven may exist. Emmett explains that he's heard the song playing on repeat for several months and doesn't believe there's any real significance behind it.
That night, Regan tells Marcus that she plans to search for a boat to cross to a nearby island. Marcus bitterly rejects the idea of Regan going out on her own fearing that she will be killed. After witnessing what happened to their father, Marcus has become even more vulnerable and cautious of the family's circumstances. Regan backs away from the conversation as if to heed Marcus's plea.
Day 475
Of course, Regan is far more headstrong than Marcus is willing to give her credit for. The next morning, she is already gone and left a note for the family to continually listen to the radio. She believes that she will find the radio station on the nearby island.
Evelyn pleads with Emmett to go find her daughter and bring her back. Emmett has seemingly lost his capacity to care for humanity as he feels that the majority of humans that are still alive "aren't worth saving" due to their corruption and desperation over the need to survive. Incapable of finding Regan herself while needing to care for her injured son and newborn child, Evelyn explains to Emmett that Regan is one bright light that hasn't faded with the dark turn of the world and that she is a soul worth saving. Emmett does track her down and protects her from the attack of a creature just in the nick of time.
Emmett insists to Regan that they head back home. But Regan is pretty bullish in her attempt to find the alleged safe haven. The pair rest while they wait out the creatures in the area. When Regan awakens, she finds that Emmett is gone, along with her hearing aid and microphone. Thinking he robbed her and ran, she begins sobbing. However, Emmett quickly returns much to her delight and lets her know that he found a boat. So, the pair set out for the docks.
Day 476, part 1
The next day, Evelyn tells Marcus that she has to leave to find him medicine for his wound. His anxiety over the idea of being on his own spikes — she comforts him by telling him he knows everything he needs to survive and that she'll be back soon.
Of course, Marcus isn't exactly one to stay still. After ensuring that the baby was asleep and secure, he ventures out of the living space they were staying in underneath the foundry and begins investigating the rest of Emmett's hideout. He manages to stumble upon the corpse of Emmett's wife which startles him and also alerts a creature in the area. After running back to the hideout, he grabs the baby and gets inside the vault, failing to secure the lock in the open position and accidentally sealing himself and the newborn inside. Soon, Marcus recognizes that he is running out of oxygen and has to share his baby sibling's oxygen mask to stay alive.
Upon returning with medicine and oxygen tanks, Evelyn sees that the creatures are assaulting the hideout. She attempts to create a distraction in order to save her children. Eventually, she joins them in the vault but rigs the latch to stay unlocked allowing for Marcus and her baby to receive much-needed oxygen.
Day 476, part 2
Meanwhile, Regan and Emmett find the marina but are ambushed by a bunch of feral humans who clearly have lost their minds amid the apocalypse. They're angling to kill any passerby and take their possessions. One of them puts a rope around Emmett's neck after taking Regan away. In a reference to when Regan taught Emmett the sign language for "dive" on Day 1, Emmett puts his hands together and makes the dive motion as Regan looks back. She jumps into the water while Emmett subdues the man at the dock. The noise causes creatures to attack and slaughter the feral humans.
Emmett then jumps into the water as well while the creature makes quick work of the raggedy folks on dry land. One creature jumps into the water and demonstrates that for all their killing prowess they, in fact, cannot swim.
Regan and Emmett find a small boat to board as they float away from the dock. Emmett notices that one of the monsters becomes stranded on another boat that begins floating away from the dock realizing it has nowhere to go. The pair makes it to the island and finds a nice and quaint human community operating as if the horrors of the outside world didn't even exist. Stunned, Emmett confesses to Regan that she was right and he was wrong about everything. A man within the community welcomes them and they find themselves relieved to have found some form of a sanctuary.
Day 477
As dawn breaks, Emmett walks around the beach and finds another boat that has come upon the shore. Instantly, he recognizes the boat as the one that the stranded creature was aboard from the night before. He rushes back to the community telling everyone to take cover but it's too late, the creature comes barreling into the neighborhood killing many before Emmett, Regan, and the community leader attempt to lead the creature away from the population in a car using a horn. The creature gives chase to the crew down the road.
The trio finds themselves at the radio tower where the man from the community is summarily killed by the alien. Emmett and Regan rush inside and fight for survival. In one final ditch effort to protect Regan, Emmett prepares to sacrifice himself while closing the door to the recording studio where Regan is. However, she lures the creature close and then uses her hearing aid in the microphone to stun it before killing it with a beam.
Simultaneously, the creature back at the foundry is once again alerted to Evelyn, Marcus, and the baby hiding within the vault and rips off the door attempting to grab them. Marcus, heeding the words of his wise sister, still has the radio on and recognizes the high-pitch shrill tune once it starts playing over the radio. He forces the creature to back away after it injures Evelyn. Marcus shoots it in the head, killing it. In a world rife with horrors, the two siblings rise above them using the counsel and survivalist persistence their late father and mother instilled in them.
While "A Quiet Place Part II" ends with the family still remaining separated, this timeline will undoubtedly continue. "Part III" is in production, while a prequel, subtitled "Day One," is slated for a 2024 release.