Where to watch Preparation for the Next Life? Streaming details explored

Preparation for the Next Life is one of the more highly anticipated American drama films of 2025, based on Atticus Lish's award-winning 2014 novel of the same title. The film is directed by Bing Liu and written by Martyna Majok, and starring Sebiye Behtiyar and Fred Hechinger.

The project was noticed early due to the fame of the novel, which received the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction in 2015 and the Grand Prix de Littérature Américaine in 2016.

Released on September 5, 2025, by Amazon MGM Studios, Preparation for the Next Life offers a gritty and realistic portrayal of survival, trauma, and serendipitous love in New York City. Fans can currently watch Preparation for the Next Life by buying or renting it on Amazon Prime Video.

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Preparation for the Next Life online streaming details explored

For home viewers, Preparation for the Next Life is available to purchase or rent on Amazon Prime Video. As Amazon MGM Studios released the film, the platform is being used as the film's primary digital home following its theatrical run.

Although no official streaming subscription release has been made, the movie will reportedly find its way to major platforms down the line. Based on previous trends with Amazon MGM Studios releases, it could potentially stream on Amazon Prime Video sometime after its paid rental and purchase window concludes.

Until then, renting it on Amazon Prime Video is the only confirmed means available for viewers to see the movie online.

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What happens in Preparation for the Next Life?

Preparation for the Next Life (Image via Amazon Prime Video)

Preparation for the Next Life is the story of Aishe, a Uyghur migrant who arrives in New York with nothing but grit to survive. Played by Sebiye Behtiyar, Aishe toils long days in Chinatown's hidden kitchens, keeping her head down as she makes do in the city as an undocumented laborer. Her life is one of meager pay, precariousness, and ever-present danger of being pushed further to the fringes.

Her world changes when she meets Skinner, an American soldier portrayed by Fred Hechinger. Skinner has returned home from Iraq carrying the weight of trauma and struggling to adjust to civilian life. He is disillusioned, uncertain, and searching for purpose in an America that feels distant from the one he left behind.

When Aishe and Skinner cross paths, the two form a bond that gradually grows into love. Their bond is a tenuous haven, providing both of them with a sense of home. But Preparation for the Next Life does not frame their story as mere romance.

Rather, it explores the way two individuals on the margins of society hold onto each other as they bear heavy personal tragedies. The story draws attention to alienation, tenacity, and the daily struggle to maintain dignity in unfriendly environments.

The crew is headed by Sebiye Behtiyar as Aishe. Behtiyar plays a character that demands both vulnerability and persistence, conveying the hardships of an immigrant life in New York. Fred Hechinger plays opposite her as Skinner, lending weight to a character whose war trauma is the film's emotional substance.

The production was financed by Plan B Entertainment and Pastel, both production houses known for producing character-driven drama films. Orion Pictures initially acquired the rights to release the film, but the distribution was later taken over by Amazon MGM Studios to ensure a theatrical as well as digital release.

Principal photography was all done in New York City, a thoughtful decision considering how central the city is to the novel's narrative.

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The movie was released in theaters on September 5, 2025.