Preparation for the Next Life (film)

Preparation for the Next Life
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Bing Liu
Screenplay by	Martyna Majok
Based on	Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish
Produced by	Dede Gardner Jeremy Kleiner Adele Romanski Barry Jenkins Mark Ceryak
Starring	Sebiye Behtiyar Fred Hechinger
Cinematography	Ante Cheng
Edited by	Anne McCabe
Music by	Emile Mosseri
Production companies	Orion Pictures Plan B Entertainment Pastel
Distributed by	Amazon MGM Studios
Release date	September 5, 2025 (2025-09-05)
Running time	116 minutes [1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$31,848 [2] [3]

Preparation for the Next Life is a 2025 American drama film directed by Bing Liu, from a screenplay by Martyna Majok. It is based upon the 2014 novel by Atticus Lish. It stars Sebiye Behtiyar and Fred Hechinger.

It was released on September 5, 2025, by Amazon MGM Studios.

Premise

A Uyghur migrant to New York lives a meagre existence laboring in Chinatown’s underground kitchens, but her future suddenly becomes hopeful when she falls in love with an American soldier.

Cast

• Sebiye Behtiyar as Aishe
• Fred Hechinger as Skinner

Production

In March 2023, it was announced Bing Liu would direct an adaption of Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish, with Plan B Entertainment and Pastel producing, with Orion Pictures set to distribute. ^[4] Principal photography took place in New York City. ^[5]

Release

It was released on September 5, 2025, by Amazon MGM Studios. ^[6]

Reception

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 93% of 15 critics' reviews are positive. ^[7] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 84 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

References

1. Aguilar, Carlos (August 31, 2025). "'Preparation for the Next Life' Review: A Bittersweet Immigrant Love Story Thrives on Two Terrific Performances". Variety . Retrieved September 2, 2025.
2. "Preparation for the Next Life (2025) - Financial Information". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
3. "Preparation for the Next Life". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved September 8, 2025.
4. Lavalee, Eric (March 21, 2023). "Minding the Crap: Bing Liu Preps Fiction Debut "Preparation for the Next Life"". ION Cinema. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
5. "Now Casting: 'Preparation for the Next Life,' Physician's Choice, Chevrolet". Casting Networks. January 11, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
6. Lattanzio, Ryan (July 17, 2025). "Fred Hechinger and Sebiye Behtiyar Are a Vet and an Immigrant in Love in 'Minding the Gap' Director Bing Liu's 'Preparation for the Next Life' — First Look". IndieWire . Retrieved July 17, 2025.
7. "Preparation for the Next Life". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved September 4, 2025.

4. "Preparation for the Next Life (2025) Filming Locations". 2025-08-01. Retrieved 2025-08-01.

External links

• Preparation for the Next Life at IMDb