Samira "Sam", a pessimistic, terminally ill cancer patient, lives at a hospice outside New York City with her cat, Frodo. Reuben, a nurse, convinces a reluctant Sam to join a group outing to a marionette show in Manhattan. While in the city, the group notices meteor-like objects falling from the sky. Shortly afterwards, hostile extraterrestrial creatures attack the gathered crowd and passersby. A meteor hits an ambulance, and the explosion knocks Sam unconscious. Sam later wakes up inside the puppet theater with Frodo and other survivors, including Henri, who signals her to remain quiet. Announcements from military helicopters warn civilians to stay silent and hidden until the authorities can rescue them. Sam then witnesses fighter jets bombing and destroying the bridges leading out of Manhattan, preventing the creatures from leaving the island. One of the survivors begins to panic, and Henri accidentally kills him in the process of trying to keep him silent.