Preparation for the Next Life

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AA S The subject is strong. BUT the struggles never feel real enough. The dark side of the new life isn’t just drinking, drugs, or drifting— It’s that crushing mix of being invisible and still having to survive—the feeling of wanting to stand but not being able to, wanting to give up but being forced to keep going. Aishe, as an undocumented immigrant, is always one step away from being deported, stuck in restaurant kitchens and factory shifts, longing for a place in society that will never claim her. Skinner, on the other hand, carries the weight of a war he can’t shake off. Their stories together should create real tension, but the film skims over it. Love, sex, even survival all feel muted. The director seems to hold back—moments that should hit hard are passed over, covered instead with background music that stitches the story together a little awkwardly. The two leads meet in a way that feels forced. You never really feel the spark in their eyes. For Skinner, coming back from war, the world should feel dark and dead; her presence should have lit something up, a breath of life. The movie never captures that. From Aishe’s side, her feelings should be fragile, about being needed and being seen—not just some projection of her father, who’s also a veteran but hardly the same figure. One of the few scenes that really works is Skinner in the bathroom. That moment has weight—through silence and body language, you finally see the cracks in him. It’s like a wordless confession, the best bit of acting in the film. But scenes like this are rare, and the story never balances it with Aishe’s point of view. If the film had dug deeper into both sides—the undocumented woman living in the shadows and the soldier living with unhealed scars—it could’ve been so much stronger. Two souls recognizing each other in the cracks of the city. Yet without enough dramatic tension or a more visual rendering of their inner lives, this sense of fate comes across flat. The ending does carry a certain warmth—suggesting that even far from home, one keeps searching for a place lit up like home to start the new life. …. I couldn’t stop imagining another version: Skinner, drunk and still trapped in his own maze, calling her in New Mexico, where she has begun a new life. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/17/25 Full Review Mary C. Good acting, cinematography and production design, but omg so slow. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/08/25 Full Review chris s The size of the story feels epic, and have the relationship feels very intimate. The two leads are really wonderful and they craft a compelling romantic and combative tension. Very impressive teamwork from the director being Lou, to the Cinematographer, to the art direction, the musical score and of course the acting Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/07/25 Full Review Zach W. Whether you look at it from the perspective of an immigrant story or from the perspective of a veteran story, the significance and impact of Preparation for the Next Life is more memorable than the film’s execution. Directed by Bing Liu, Preparation for the Next Life showcases a love story in New York City with a beautiful blend of culture and commentary. Despite the emotionality of the film, the story does feel repetitive as Preparation for the Next Life constantly jumps back and forth between the differing struggles of the two lead individuals. Though the runtime is under two hours, I still thought Preparation for the Next Life felt slightly long. However, the lead performances from Sebiye Behtiyar and Fred Hechinger are undoubtedly impressive and impactful. In fact, Sebiye Behtiyar stands out as one of the best performances of the year. Hechinger achieves the believability of his character, but I found myself more enamored by Behtiyar’s performance. Regardless, the duo is emotionally compelling and their complex dynamic is thought-provoking. Bing Liu succeeds in crafting a film that will definitely leave audiences talking and thinking about its themes. From a visual perspective, Preparation for the Next Life captures the unique aesthetic of New York City. The serenity of the landscape shots are some of my favorite of the year. Overall, Preparation for the Next Life is a truly important story to be told this year. Its real-life parallels are obvious, but the significance is clear and impactful. I believe that this is the debut role for Behtiyar and her performance left me speechless multiple times. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/06/25 Full Review Stephen C Success in 1 hour and 55 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $31,800.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/19/25 Full Review Kevin H Saw this movie last night, it was so slow moving and you only stick around because you think a dramatic turn in the story will present itself - instead it's the same ol' love/breakup story. This is one of those movies after two hours you ask yourself - if someone could get a budget to make a movie this crappy, how hard can it be to be a screenwriter? Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 09/04/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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