If I Go Will They Miss Me

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If I Go Will They Miss Me

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1h 32m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

39 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

In the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, twelve-year-old Lil Ant sees the world and his father the way all children should -- full of myth, wonder, and unwavering belief. If I Go Will They Miss Me is a breathtaking father-son story about imagination, family, and the grace we extend to the people we love.

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Critics Consensus

If I Go Will They Miss Me transforms the bleak realities of life in the projects into a lyrical, gravity-defying portrait of childhood wonder and communal care.

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Lisa Kennedy

New York Times

1 day ago

Danielle Brooks and J. Alphonse Nicholson do deep tissue work as the parents of Lil Ant (Bodhi Dell), a 12-year-old boy whose dreams of flight and myth-infused fantasizes about his father, Anthony Sr., carry the film.

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Amy Nicholson

Los Angeles Times

Sep 11, 2026

Part of that burgeoning school that’s neither neo-realist nor magical-realist, but passionate-realist — it insists on finding wonder in places where others see only poverty and despair. (See also Sean Baker’s "The Florida Project")

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Namrata Joshi

The New Indian Express

Feb 26, 2026

If I Go Will They Miss Me takes you through the bleak and gloomy corridors of life, but with poise and grace and draws out the poetic and profound from the prosaic.

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Aaron Neuwirth

We Live Entertainment

17 hrs ago

8/10

If I Go Will They Miss Me tells a compelling story about a young man’s experiences with his father and mysterious visions, and the way it juxtaposes his reality with Greek mythology suggests a filmmaker with a lot of great ideas up his sleeve.

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Travis DeShong

In Review Online

1 day ago

None of If I Go’s flaws prove fatal, however, and when it’s humming, the results range from pleasant to patently exquisite.

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Ria Dhull

Spectrum Culture

4 days ago

While not every experiment in If I Go Will They Miss Me is a success, Thompson-Hernández draws consistent, powerful performances from his cast to create a family portrait.

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Makalia

25 min ago

I wish the story went deeper into Big Ants past to make things more understandable. What’s was with the kids in the white shirts, what triggered him to throw away his son’s drawings and wings. I left with alot of questions that need answers.

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Drethe_Giant

3 hrs ago

If you understand the trauma of a not only a man but a father period. You’ll understand the good and bad of the thoughts men wrestle with. How in some instances you’re proud that your son wants to be like you but you really desire that he’ll be better than you. But when you realize your selfish ways are in the way of the inevitable destiny, it just might be to late.

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Jazmyn

10 hrs ago

Absolutely amazing. Stunning. Cannot wait to get this on dvd. Absolutely sparkling storytelling with grand truths. It is absolutely beautiful. I was in tears by the end. Star storytelling

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jolie

10 hrs ago

amazing movie, totally broke me but an absolute piece of art

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Devan V

12 hrs ago

A powerful movie about family, fatherhood, mental health, and community. It is thought provoking and left me with tears and and feelings that inspire me to be a great father one day, contribute to heal internally, and create art as poignant as this.

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geekgirrrl

12 hrs ago

The cinematography was gorgeous.

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Walter Thompson-Hernández

Director

J. Alphonse Nicholson

Actor

Danielle Brooks

Actor

Bodhi Dell

Actor

Kelvin Adekunle

Actor

Bre-Z

Actor

If I Go Will They Miss Me: Trailer 1

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If I Go Will They Miss Me: Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

In the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, twelve-year-old Lil Ant sees the world and his father the way all children should -- full of myth, wonder, and unwavering belief. If I Go Will They Miss Me is a breathtaking father-son story about imagination, family, and the grace we extend to the people we love.

Director: Walter Thompson-Hernández
Producer: Josh Peters, Saba Zerehi, Ben Stillman
Screenwriter: Walter Thompson-Hernández
Distributor: Rich Spirit
Production Co: Further Adventures, LinLay Productions, Cedar Road, Spark Features, Merino Films
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 11, 2026, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $39.2K
Runtime: 1h 32m

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