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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95%

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43 Reviews

95%

Popcornmeter

100+ Verified 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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Cortlyn Kelly

Chicago Reader

Sep 23, 2026

If I Go Will They Miss Me is motion picture poetry. Floating like a bubble, knowing this moment is fleeting, every scene transports the audience to a mythological state of mind.

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Lisa Kennedy

New York Times

Sep 17, 2026

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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Marlon Wallace

The M Report (WBOC.com)

23 hrs ago

...directs this film in a more artistic and slightly more surreal way... Thompson-Hernández doesn't dwell in the clichés of Black people and the drug trade. He expands it to be a broader conversation about masculinity and fatherhood.

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

6 days ago

3/4

... creates a permeable world, in which unspoken fears and dreams seep into the mundanity of everyday life.

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Rachel Wagner

Hallmarkies Podcast

Sep 19, 2026

raw and authentic film which allows you to feel empathy for these characters

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Josie

1 day ago

The film is a work of art. There is no concrete answer. It’s just like life. You don’t know. All you can do is experience. In order to summarize my compliment. The film captures the feeling of being a child trying to understand the world. It perfectly captures the wonder and innocence of being a child.

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Rochelle

1 day ago

It is one of the best films Ive ever seen. Truly raw and emotionally charged in a way that is new and a breath of fresh air for film.

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John S Rhodes

1 day ago

Beautifully written. Beautifully directed. Touches on the many intricacies that a Black man has with his father. Highly recommend for all my Black men.

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Theodor U

2 days ago

One of the most authentic films I have seen in a while. An introspective look at a black family and uncomfortable transition from innocence to burden. This goes up there in the ranks of Moonlight or The Last Black Man in San Francisco.

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Breona

2 days ago

The film was a beautiful work of art, love and life.

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Shaunte D

2 days ago

Powerful, thought-provoking, and beautifully told. If I Go Will They Miss Me? is the kind of film that stays with you long after it ends.

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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): $752.5K
Runtime: 1h 32m

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