The film is a prequel of the first days of the alien invasion that forced the world to go quiet.
Sam (Lupita Nyong’o)is a terminally ill cancer patient on a trip to the city with other patients from her hospice on the day that the aliens come down. She joins her nurse friend Reuben (Alex Wolff) and other survivors, but she is intent on going to Harlem with her cat Frodo to have pizza from Patsy’s one last time before she dies. The military bombs bridges to get in and out of the city.
Boats start to take survivors to safety, but Sam gets separated from Frodo during a frenzy when the aliens attack people heading toward the boats. Frodo is found by Eric (Joseph Quinn), an English law student who joins a reluctant Sam on her quest. They outrun more aliens while Eric also helps get medication for Sam. They later end up in Harlem but find that Patsy’s is burned down. Eric finds pizza from another place and cheers Sam up.
The two see other boats nearby, and Sam creates a distraction to allow Eric and Frodo to get to the boat. Eric succeeds and finds a note from Sam, thanking him for being with her in her final days. Meanwhile, Sam roams the empty streets and plays music to draw an alien near her, accepting her fate.
