Sometime in an apocalyptic future, Daisy, a maladjusted young American teenager is sent to the English countryside for the summer to stay with her Aunt Penn and her three children: Eddie, Isaac and Piper. Daisy arrives at Heathrow Airport to tightened security and reports of a bombing in Paris and is greeted by Isaac who drives her to their farm. Initially abrasive Daisy warms up to her cousins and their neighbour’s son, Joe. Daisy also learns from her aunt that her late mother also used to stay at the farm frequently. Meanwhile, Daisy falls in love with her eldest cousin, Eddie. A few days after her arrival, Penn flies to Geneva to attend an emergency conference because she is an expert in terrorist extremist groups. How I Live Now 2013 full
The children’s summer fun ends when a terrorist coalition detonates a nuclear bomb in London that kills hundreds of thousands and in the aftermath, the electricity goes out, and they learn from an emergency radio broadcast that martial law has been imposed. Daisy is offered safe passage home back to America but decides to stay, set upon her love for Eddie. However, the British Army storms their home and separates the boys and girls who are to be evacuated to separate parts of the country. Eddie tries to fight back but is pinned down by the soldiers. He instead calls for Daisy to return to their home whenever she can get the chance.
Daisy and Piper are fostered in the home of a British Army major and his wife. Their neighbourhood is attacked by terrorists and Joe who was fostered in the same town is killed. Daisy and Piper escape to the countryside and begin a six day walk back to the house. Daisy witnesses mistreatment of apparent captives at a camp and sometime thereafter a massacre near the camp where Isaac and Eddie were taken. Daisy finds that although Eddie is not among the dead, Isaac’s body is. She mournfully takes his glasses and later buries them. As they leave, they are spotted by two armed men, who chase them through the woods. Daisy shoots them both and the two girls flee.