THE STORY – A Uyghur woman, trained by her military father, migrates to NYC where she finds herself laboring in Chinatown’s underground kitchens. She fatefully encounters a young American soldier who just returned from three tours in the Middle East.
THE CAST – Sebiye Behiyar, Fred Hechinger & Alicher Adill
THE TEAM – Bing Liu (Director) & Martyna Majok (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 115 Minutes
Bing Liu’s 2018 film “Minding the Gap” was a thought-provoking exploration of adolescence and young adulthood in America, offering an intimate portrayal of the challenges faced by a largely overlooked population of young American males. Following its success and his Oscar nomination, Liu is stepping into narrative filmmaking while continuing to explore the same themes his documentaries highlighted: the forgotten majority of American youth struggling to make their lives meaningful.
“Preparation for the Next Life,” adapted from the 2014 novel, follows Aishe (Sebiya Behtiyar), a young Uyghur woman who migrates to New York City in search of a better life. Traveling alongside other young Chinese women, she finds work in Chinatown’s underground kitchens. The hours are long and the pay is meager, but it is enough to cover the rent for the small apartment she shares with her fellow migrants. One night, she meets Skinner (Fred Hechinger), a young Army veteran recently returned from deployment. As they fall in love, their relationship becomes a lens through which the struggles of youth chasing the American Dream are revealed, with both characters fighting to rebuild their lives individually and together.
The performances from Behtiyar and Hechinger ground the film. Aishe, an undocumented immigrant, endures exploitative labor conditions and prejudice as the only non-Chinese member of her community. Every day, she faces the looming threat of ICE while yearning for belonging. It is only through her connection with Skinner that she begins to form a real bond. In her first professional role, Behtiyar gives Aishe a quiet resilience, portraying her as resourceful and determined to make the most of her limited options. Her focus on strength and self-reliance drives her pursuit of a fake Social Security card, which she hopes will provide new opportunities. Initially reluctant to let anyone in, Aishe gradually opens up when Skinner enters her life.
Skinner, however, carries deep scars from his military service. He shows Aishe the array of prescription medications he claims do not work, and he numbs himself nightly at the local pub. Hechinger captures his silent anguish, portraying a man refusing treatment for severe PTSD out of pride and denial. This inner battle strains his relationship with Aishe, who desperately tries to support him but meets only resistance. His reluctance to find work or acknowledge the gravity of Aishe’s immigration status further undermines their bond, making his marriage proposals feel naïve. Through this, Liu underscores his central theme: the American government’s failure to care for its young, leaving individuals like Aishe and Skinner to fend for themselves in a system that sets them up to drown.
Liu balances the tenderness of romance with the weight of social realism. Working with cinematographer Ante Cheng, he contrasts the warmth of first love with the unforgiving grind of urban survival. “Preparation for the Next Life” is both moving and devastating, portraying two lonely souls searching for happiness in a world that is determined to deny it. Even in moments of joy, the inevitability of despair creeps in, as love proves insufficient to overcome systemic barriers. At times, Skinner is a lifeline for Aishe, but the film gradually asks whether that same lifeline might also be an anchor.
As with many book-to-film adaptations, the screenplay by Martyna Majok struggles with condensing the material. Atticus Lish’s novel runs 417 pages, weaving together multiple themes across Aishe’s journey. A two-hour film cannot sustain that breadth, and condensation is uneven here. Even with the use of voiceover, the narrative attempts to juggle romance, PTSD, immigration, mental health, working-class struggles, and the illusion of the American Dream all at once. The result offers only surface-level engagement with each issue. The film might have been stronger had Majok and Liu focused more narrowly, giving one or two themes the depth they deserved.
“Preparation for the Next Life” emerges as a poignant and empathetic examination of the challenges faced by young people in America. Through Bing Liu’s sensitive direction and Sebiya Behtiyar’s standout performance, it tells the story of two survivors bound by love but trapped in circumstances beyond their control. Ultimately, the film argues that while the desire for love, peace, and freedom is universal, the brutal realities of modern America make achieving those dreams nearly impossible.
