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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Tomatometer

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95%

Tomatometer

42 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

5 days ago

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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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

3 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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Aaron Neuwirth

We Live Entertainment

Sep 18, 2026

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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Breona

12 hrs ago

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

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Shaunte D

13 hrs 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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Bertto

18 hrs ago

The movie was a beautiful tapestry of one iteration of Black fatherhood and masculinity. I very much appreciated the depth of the characters showcased that is not always reflected for people of color in American film. As well I appreciated the realistic depiction of a working class Black family while weaving in Greek mythology.

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Remy F

1 day ago

A black story deserving to be told! Beautifully shot. I can’t wait for all of the discussions to be had concerning this film.

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Dominique

1 day ago

Amazing storytelling, pulling the viewer in with connection, emotion, humanity and our undeniable need for love.

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Wenu

1 day ago

solid with a great ending

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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): $383.9K
Runtime: 1h 32m

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