Lupita Nyong’o says ending A Quiet Place: Day One with Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” was a perfect choice.
In the horror prequel, Lupita’s cancer-stricken character Sam makes a striking choice at the end of the movie. Nyong’o believes writer-director Michael Sarnoski chose the perfect song to accompany the ending.
“It’s tragic, but it’s also satisfying that Sam is going out on her own terms. Nina Simone has an inbuilt melancholy in her voice, and it comes across in that song,” she told USA Today. “It’s in complete contrast to what she’s saying — the words are, ‘And I’m feeling good.’ I think it treads that fine line between a cry of grief and euphoria somehow.”
“You want the protagonist to have agency and you want her to triumph,” Nyong’o continued. “The filmmakers asked themselves, ‘How can this moment be a triumph?’ But I think the song really sends it to that place.”
However, Sarnoski admitted the song wasn’t his first choice; he initially considered the more upbeat “New York Groove” from glam-rock band Hello.
“It was a little on the nose. I wanted to take something that seemed hopeless and actually make it really joyful. We tried a few songs to see what fit that moment, and Nina Simone just worked really well,” he said.
Although the movie features memorable performances from Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn, fans have quickly taken Sam’s cat Frodo into their hearts.
“Once I landed on Frodo, I knew it had to be that. It just made sense for a little nod to this journey they’re taking together,” Sarnoski said.
“I always imagined him as this savvy street cat that Sam found in her younger days in New York and then raised. This image of her walking through destroyed New York City with a cat just seemed perfect. Also, knowing that a cat would be one of the few animals that might have a shot at surviving in the Quiet Place world because they can stalk and sneak around. I don’t think a dog would do so great,” he said.
