Preparation for the Next Life

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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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/05/25 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

Preparation for the Next Life

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