A Quiet Placehas quickly earned itself a reputation as anentertaining modern horror franchise. Now the new prequelA Quiet Place: Day One, which foreshadows the events ofA Quiet Place(2018) andA Quiet Place Part II(2020), is playing in cinemas, and surprisingly, the movie features a number of parallels to Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringstrilogy.
The prequel film centers on Samira, known as Sam, a woman stranded in New York City with her cat Frodo during the early stages of the alien invasion. Since these alien creatures are extremely sensitive to sound, survival seems like a far-fetched outcome. DirectorMichael Sarnoskiand the stunning actressLupita Nyong’odecided it was the ideal moment to share the inspiration behind the narrative. Sarnoski is a huge fan ofLord of the Rings, and he made it quite evident throughoutA Quiet Place: Day One, drawing comparisons with Lupita Nyong’o’s Sam and her cat, Frodo.
A Quiet Place: Day One
In an interview withEntertainment Weekly, the director and actor discussed the Easter Eggs strewn throughout the film, pointing out Sam and Frodo’s character names, as well as otherparallels between the two storylines. In their words,
Michael Sarnoski: WatchingLord of the Ringsgrowing up, watching all the behind the scenes was a big part of falling in love with movie making and the potential for both beautifully meaningful, emotional storytelling and huge scope and excitement. So, yeah, definitely there was a lot to that.
Lupita Nyong’o: Our director is enough of a nerd. He chose that name, and I thought it was really quite apt because [the cat] is that companion. Our relationship has a very steep arc.
Michael Sarnoski: Sam and Frodo carry a lot of weight, and I think there is a real odyssey element to this, even though we’re contained within this city of New York. How people support each other through that journey is an important part of it… I think you could make an argument for that. It’s a little calmer and quieter than what Mordor would be. They definitely have a goal through this movie that means a lot to them, and that is important. They would die to get there.
A Quiet Place: Day One’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Is Scary Good Out of the Gate
As early screenings of A Quiet Place: Day One get underway, the horror film’s Rotten Tomatoes score reflects very good reviews from the critics.
How A Quiet Place: Day One Draws Inspiration from the Lord of the Rings
While many people assume thatLord of the Ringsis the story of a war between Middle-earth and the dark lord Sauron, it is, in fact, a beautiful journey of Sam and Frodo as they attempt to keep the Ring out of the wrong hands.A Quiet Place: Day Oneis quite similar in this regard, since it takes place prior to the events of the other films and follows Sam and Frodo as they navigate New York City whileevading alien creatures.
Even though we’re contained within this city of New York, how people support each other through that journey is an important part of it. —Sarnoski
The apocalyptic New York City shown inDay Oneis roughly comparable to Mordor, since neither is safe for humans (or Hobbits). Furthermore, the weight Sam and Frodo carry in both films motivates them to support one another, eventually understanding that their journey has been remarkable. In other words, the characters have a clear destination in mind and will go to any length to get there, even if it means dying in the process.
A Quiet Place: Day Onewas released in theaters worldwide on July 22, 2025.
