Preparation for the Next Life

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Preparation for the Next Life

R

2025

1h 57m

Romance

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

33 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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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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Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

Dec 12

3.5/5

Director Bing Liu, writer Martyna Majok and the gifted actors create a lovely sense that these characters are heading somewhere unknown.

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TheMovieSearch R

@TheMovieSearch 3d

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 4d

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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Frans B

@FransB Jan 19

Brilliant! Sebiye Behtiyar absolutely shines in character, whole cast really convincing. Very well written and brought to screen. Great cinematography and visually stunning. Loved the pace of this movie, adds so much to the overall ambiance. Filled with drama, suspense, frustration, challenges, heartache, heartbreak, sadness, joy and hope. Feels very real and it is easy to picture millions of people going through this in real life. Very sad at times and very uplifting at the same time. gripping story

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Jason M

@glypo Jan 12

This is a beautiful film, sometimes hauntingly so. The pacing is slow, which I enjoyed, and the pace absolutely suits the story. It's a window into two worlds. The acting was absolutely terrific. I certainly admired it, but didn't so much enjoy it.

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Les N

Dec 28

Sad. I know how he feels

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Bing Liu

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Sebiye Behtiyar

Aishe

Fred Hechinger

Skinner

Dralla Aierken

Arzu

Jessica Ma

Ma

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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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