Preparation for the Next Life is a powerful and visceral adaptation of Atticus Lish’s acclaimed novel, bringing to life a raw and unforgettable story of two fractured souls colliding in the margins of New York City. The film follows Aishe (Sebiye Behtiyar), a resilient Uyghur woman who flees persecution in China, carrying with her the survival skills taught by her military father. Upon arriving in New York, she finds herself trapped in the grueling, invisible world of Chinatown’s underground kitchens, laboring endlessly for meager pay while clinging to the hope of a better future. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she crosses paths with Skinner (Fred Hechinger), a young, emotionally scarred American soldier freshly returned from three traumatic tours in the Middle East.

Directed with unflinching realism, the film paints a stark portrait of the American Dream deferred, set against the gritty backdrop of a city that promises everything but offers little. Aishe and Skinner’s connection is born from shared isolation and trauma, a fragile bond that becomes their only anchor in a world that has shown them little kindness. Preparation for the Next Life is a haunting exploration of displacement, PTSD, and the desperate human need for connection, told with a poetic brutality that will linger long after the credits roll.

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Meet the Cast of Preparation for the Next Life

– Sebiye Behtiyar as Aishe

Sebiye Behtiyar delivers a breathtaking, tour-de-force performance as Aishe, embodying her character’s fierce resilience, profound loneliness, and unwavering determination with astonishing authenticity. Behtiyar, drawing from her own Uyghur heritage, portrays Aishe’s journey with a raw physicality and emotional depth, from the disciplined strength instilled by her father to the exhausting reality of her life as an undocumented immigrant. Her performance is a silent scream of endurance, often conveyed through her eyes and body language as much as through dialogue.

Behtiyar’s chemistry with Fred Hechinger is the film’s aching heart. She captures the cautious, gradual trust that develops between two people who have been deeply wounded by the world, making their relationship feel both fragile and immensely powerful. Her portrayal is not just of a woman surviving, but of a human spirit refusing to be broken, making Aishe one of the most compelling and heroic characters to grace the screen this year.

– Fred Hechinger as Skinner

Fred Hechinger is utterly transformative as Skinner, the emotionally hollowed-out veteran struggling to find his place in a country that feels alien upon his return. Hechinger portrays Skinner’s PTSD with a harrowing, internalized intensity, capturing the character’s hypervigilance, numbness, and explosive anger with terrifying realism. His physical transformation and mannerisms fully embody a soldier who is still at war within himself long after leaving the battlefield.

Hechinger’s performance is a masterclass in vulnerability masked by toughness. His scenes with Behtiyar are charged with a desperate, unspoken need for understanding and solace. He shows how Skinner, who feels invisible to his own society, is truly seen for the first time by Aishe, and how that connection becomes his most potent and terrifying form of therapy. It is a career-defining role for the young actor.

– Alicher Adill as Aziz

Alicher Adill brings a formidable and complex presence to Aziz, a fellow Uyghur immigrant who operates within the shadowy networks of New York’s underground economy. Adill portrays Aziz as a man hardened by circumstance, who offers Aishe a form of community and protection, but at a potential cost. His character represents the difficult choices and compromises faced by those living in the shadows.

Adill’s performance adds a crucial layer of tension and moral ambiguity to the narrative. His interactions with Aishe are filled with unspoken history and a shared cultural burden, highlighting the tight-knit yet often suffocating nature of immigrant enclaves. He is a reminder that survival sometimes requires alliances with dangerous people.

– Dralla Aierken as Arzu

Dralla Aierken appears as Arzu, Aishe’s strong-willed and pragmatic mother, seen in poignant flashbacks that illuminate Aishe’s past and the source of her resilience. Aierken brings a fierce maternal love and a deep sense of cultural tradition to her role, portraying a woman who prepared her daughter for a life of hardship she hoped she would never have to face.

Aierken’s performance, though brief, is emotionally devastating. Her presence haunts Aishe’s journey, serving as both a memory of love and a reminder of everything she has lost. These flashbacks provide the essential emotional context for Aishe’s character, grounding her struggle in a specific history and a powerful familial bond.

– Erden Uyghur as Young Aishe

Erden Uyghur is a revelation as the Young Aishe, portraying the character’s formative years training under her father’s strict but loving tutelage. Uyghur captures the young girl’s blend of innocence and burgeoning strength, showing the origins of the discipline and survival instincts that define the adult Aishe. Her performance is physical and compelling, a promise of the warrior she will become.

These flashback sequences, anchored by Uyghur’s performance, are critical to understanding the core of Aishe’s identity. They contrast the stark, open landscapes of her childhood with the claustrophobic, concrete maze of New York, emphasizing the immense distance—both geographical and emotional—she has traveled.

The Chinatown Kitchen Ensemble

• Esther Chen is stern and weary as Min, the ruthless overseer of the underground kitchen where Aishe works. Chen embodies the cycle of exploitation, portraying a woman who was once in Aishe’s position and has now become part of the system that grinds others down.

• Celine Cheung brings a quiet solidarity to Yi, a more experienced kitchen worker who shows Aishe small acts of kindness amidst the brutality, representing the fragile threads of community that form in the most desperate places.

• Jessica Ma is fiercely competitive as Ma, another worker whose own struggle for survival sometimes puts her at odds with Aishe, illustrating the tensions that arise under immense pressure.

• Whitney Chi provides moments of bleak humor as Chi, using gossip and jokes as a shield against the crushing reality of their labor.

• Winnie Guo is heartbreaking as Guo, the youngest and most vulnerable of the workers, whose fate serves as a stark reminder of the high stakes of their invisible world.

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Why This Film Is a Must-See

• A Story of Urgent Relevance: A poignant and humanizing look at the immigrant experience and the veteran crisis.

• Award-Worthy Performances: Sebiye Behtiyar and Fred Hechinger deliver performances that are sure to be remembered during awards season.

• Unflinching Realism: The film does not shy away from the harsh realities of its characters’ lives, offering a viewing experience that is both challenging and deeply rewarding.

• A Directorial Triumph: A visually stunning and audaciously crafted film that announces a major new voice in cinema.

A Cinematic Event Not to Be Missed

Preparation for the Next Life arrives in select theaters on September 5, 2025. This is not just a movie; it is an immersion into a world rarely seen on screen, and an unforgettable emotional experience.