Preparation for the Next Life

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2:21

Preparation for the Next Life

R

2025

1h 57m

Romance

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Aishe, a Uyghur woman trained by her military father, migrates to New York City where she finds herself laboring in Chinatown's underground kitchens. She fatefully encounters Skinner, a young American soldier who has just returned from three tours in the Middle East. While falling in love, they discover the possibility of a better life together than the ones they believed they were destined to live alone.

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Christy Lemire

FilmWeek (LAist)

Dec 31

Sebiye Behtiyar is a star!

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

Dec 15

The feature film debut from documentary-maker Bing Liu (best known for the Oscar-nominated Minding the Gap), this is an intimate, superbly acted account of lives on the margins.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Dec 9

3/5

This is a story in which happy endings are not guaranteed and in fact not forthcoming. It has a seriousness, an unsentimental readiness to look reality in the face.

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Steve Morrissey

Radio Times

2d

3/5

Meanwhile, the beautiful score by Emile Mosseri signals an admirable and mostly successful determination to swerve overt misery in a clear-eyed look at the immigration experience.

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Lael Loewenstein

FilmWeek (LAist)

Dec 31

It could have been more connected narratively, but it was beautifully told and for most part moving.

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Andrew Murray

The Upcoming

Dec 19

3/5

With Preparation for the Next Life, director Bing Liu (Minding The Gap) creates a sombre portrait of life and all its chaotic messiness.

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Adam H

@cannac 2d

Heart warming but sad movie. Well narrated and flows with emotion. Recommended!

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RUGRATMIKE C.

@Rugratmike 4d

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

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janet k

@Idontcare7 5d

Wow, This started out to be a good movie, but it quickly declined. If you are for illegal immigrants and against American veterans, then I guess this is the movie for you. 🙏 I do not recommend if you are an American citizen. "The worst movie ever!"

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TheMovieSearch R

@TheMovieSearch Jan 24

Preparation of the Next Life is a film that aims for depth but instead becomes exhausting and difficult to sit through. From the beginning, it feels more draining than engaging, never finding a rhythm that pulls the viewer in. The screenplay is overwhelmingly long and often feels inaccessible. Dialogue dominates nearly every scene, yet very little of it feels purposeful or emotionally connective. Rather than guiding the audience, the story feels scattered and distant. It’s like falling down a rabbit hole, occasionally nearing clarity before slipping back into confusion. Narratively, the film lacks momentum. There are no meaningful twists or progression, just a sense of stagnation that makes the runtime feel much longer than it is. The direction is largely to blame. The director fails to shape the material into something captivating, allowing scenes to linger without visual or emotional payoff. Ultimately, the film is far too dialogue-heavy without the necessary tension

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Alan W

@Thorwilliams Jan 24

Very sweet movie.. not fast-paced. nobody you've ever seen on screen before but they do a great job.. one of those movies where you see love bloom out of nowhere.

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I. A

@Ahsoka41 Jan 20

A beautiful film but that could have gone a little further in the story.

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Bing Liu

Director

Sebiye Behtiyar

Aishe

Fred Hechinger

Skinner

Dralla Aierken

Arzu

Jessica Ma

Ma

Gabriel Furman

Officer Furman

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Preparation for the Next Life: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Aishe, a Uyghur woman trained by her military father, migrates to New York City where she finds herself laboring in Chinatown's underground kitchens. She fatefully encounters Skinner, a young American soldier who has just returned from three tours in the Middle East. While falling in love, they discover the possibility of a better life together than the ones they believed they were destined to live alone.

Director: Bing Liu
Producer: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins
Screenwriter: Martyna Majok
Distributor: Orion Pictures
Production Co: Amazon MGM Studios, Orion Pictures, Plan B, Pastel, Finding Leo Productions
Rating: R (Language and Brief Sexuality)
Genre: Romance, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 5, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2025
Box Office (Gross USA): $31.8K
Runtime: 1h 57m

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