Preparation for the Next Life poster

Preparation for the Next Life

Love isn’t an escape, it’s a reason to keep going.

5.9(31)20251h 56mRated R3

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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Status
Released
Budget
—
Box office
$43,421
Language
Mandarin
  • new york city
  • based on novel or book
  • undocumented immigrant
  • juvenile detention center

Top billed cast

Behind the camera

Director

Bing Liu

Produced in

United States of America

Where to watch

Availability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.

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Gallery

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Videos

Awards & recognition

Total nominations
2
  • 2 nominations total

Awards data for Preparation for the Next Life provided by OMDb.

Release dates

  • United StatesUS

    • Theatrical (limited)R5 Sept 2025
    • Digital / OTTRMGM+19 Nov 2025
    • Digital / OTTRPrime Video19 Jan 2026
  • United KingdomGB

    • Theatrical1512 Dec 2025
  • BrazilBR

    • Digital / OTT16Prime Video18 Jan 2026
  • FranceFR

    • Digital / OTT12Prime Video19 Jan 2026
  • IrelandIE

    • Digital / OTTPrime Video19 Jan 2026
  • IsraelIL

    • Digital / OTTYes VOD18 Jan 2026
  • SpainES

    • Theatrical1612 Dec 2025

Frequently asked questions

Preparation for the Next Life was released on 5 September 2025.

Audience reviews

1IMDb 5.9/10
  • B

    Brent Marchant

    10/1/2025

    4/10

    An essential element of any love story is chemistry between the lead characters, even if it takes an unconventional form. Regrettably, however, that’s exactly what’s missing in director Bing Liu’s debut narrative feature, based on the novel by Atticus Lish. Told in the form of a narrated letter/journal entry to her late film, the film chronicles the unlikely love story of Aishe (Sebiye Behtiyar), an ambitious, sharp-…

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