If I Go Will They Miss Me — Review
Source: Rich Spirit
There is no shortage of films about father-son relationships, and writer-director Walter Thompson-Hernandez’s If I Go Will They Miss Me wears its inspirations on its sleeve. Some viewers might therefore deem the film derivative of works like Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep (1978) or Billy Woodberry’s Bless Their Little Hearts (1984), particularly given that both films are set in the Watts area of Los Angeles, or even of more recent films exploring Black masculinity, such as Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight (2016) and Akinola Davies Jr.’s My Father’s Shadow (2025). Yet If I Go Will They Miss Me takes these familiar themes and approaches them with a distinct sensibility of its own. It takes a special kind of film to feel so intimate and specific yet strikingly universal.
Source: Rich Spirit
An adaptation of Walter Thompson-Hernandez’s 2022 short film of the same name, If I Go Will They Miss Me follows 12-year-old Lil Ant (Bodhi Dell) as he enters adolescence, examining his complicated relationship with his father, Big Ant (J. Alphonse Nicholson). The film opens with an airplane flying over a beach, as Lil Ant recounts through voiceover narration the first time his father took him there and how they counted all the planes in the sky that day. From the first frame, it’s clear that airplanes will serve as an important visual motif throughout the film. As Lil Ant recollects stories from his father’s childhood, the film fluidly moves between the past and present. When Lil Ant recalls how his dad used to hang out on the train tracks with his best friend JJ, for instance, we see a stunning image of the boys framed through a hollowed-out television. As Lil Ant explains that JJ remains his father’s best friend and is now his godfather, the film cuts to a shot of JJ (Myles Bullock) in the present day. Similarly, an image of Big Ant and Lozita dancing as adults shifts to one of them talking as teenagers, as Lil Ant reveals how his father was always shy around his mother. Walter Thompson-Hernández and Daysha Broadway’s editing is magnificent, weaving between flashbacks to Big Ant’s childhood and Lil Ant’s present-day experiences, beautifully capturing the rhythm of recollecting memories. The sequence is accompanied by Jon Batiste’s mesmerizing cover of “This Bitter Earth,” deepening its emotional weight. “This Bitter Earth” feels like a very intentional song choice as it famously appeared in Killer of Sheep.
Source: Rich Spirit
In addition to airplanes, Greek mythology serves as another recurring motif throughout the film. Rather than explicitly stating that his father has returned from prison, Lil Ant remarks, “All that happened before dad got back from the Trojan War. Kind of like Odysseus.” The film then cuts to the present day, at Big Ant’s welcome-home party, as Lil Ant declares, “Things are always better when dad’s out. Dad’s back now, and I hope he stays for longer this time.” Through these clever lines of narration, Walter Thompson-Hernández’s screenplay establishes the family dynamic while revealing Lil Ant’s perception of his father. It’s clear that his father has been in and out of prison, leaving his mother, Lozita (Danielle Brooks), to raise the family largely on her own in his absence. To Lil Ant, however, his father is not a criminal or simply someone who is seldom around; he is a mythic, larger-than-life figure. By comparing Big Ant’s return to Odysseus’s journey home, Lil Ant mythologizes his father’s absence, transforming his incarceration into an epic quest and his homecoming into something almost heroic.
The juxtaposition between Lil Ant’s imagination and his family’s reality is what makes If I Go Will They Miss Me so special. The film captures that childlike sense of wonder and hope, even as it gradually reveals the painful realities that exist beneath it. Lil Ant sees his father as a god, yet Lozita’s conversations expose the truth. Between Big Ant’s criminal activities and his trysts with other women, it feels as though Lozita only welcomes him back home with open arms because she believes that having him present is ultimately what is best for the family. Danielle Brooks’ performance here is phenomenal. It’s evident from her exasperated expressions alone that this is an ongoing cycle with Big Ant. It feels as though she isn’t sure how much longer she can endure his constant disappointment, yet she continues to put on a brave, happy face for her family.
Source: Rich Spirit
One aspect of If I Go Will They Miss Me that sets it apart from similar films is its distinctive visual identity. Alongside Michael Fernandez’s gorgeous cinematography, the film incorporates subtle flourishes of surrealism and magical realism. Because the story is otherwise firmly grounded in reality, these moments feel especially deliberate, visually embodying a child’s sense of imagination. One of the earliest examples occurs when Lil Ant is answering a question about Pegasus in class. He draws the mythical winged horse in his notebook, and as he begins to speak, the drawing suddenly flaps its wings. The playful, fleeting image connects two of the film’s recurring motifs—Greek mythology and flight—while offering a glimpse into how Lil Ant’s imagination shapes the way he sees the world and the people he loves.
The film is rich with symbolism, from the recurring shots of airplanes to images of Big Ant and JJ dressed in togas and carrying tridents. Some of the film’s most haunting moments feature children dressed in white with their arms outstretched as if they’re trying to fly, suggesting that Lil Ant isn’t the only child in the neighborhood dreaming of taking flight. This imagery speaks not only to the strong sense of community that runs throughout the film but also to the long-standing tradition in Black folklore of flight as a means of escaping and finding freedom.
It’s fitting that If I Go Will They Miss Me is such a poetic film, because it often calls to mind the work of one of my favorite poets, Rudy Francisco, whose poetry frequently explores Black identity, masculinity, and the experiences of being a son and a father. Flight is also a recurring metaphor in his work, with poetry collections titled Helium, Excuse Me As I Kiss the Sky, I’ll Fly Away, and No Gravity. One particular passage from his poem “Orville” came to mind while watching If I Go Will They Miss Me:
“Yesterday, a lady from church pulled me aside and said,
If God wanted us in the sky
He would have given us wings.
And I replied, Isn’t that what imagination is?
The act of actually going somewhere others can only think of?”
That idea of imagination as a form of flight feels central to If I Go Will They Miss Me. Lil Ant may not be able to change the realities of his family, but his imagination allows him to see those realities differently.
Source: Rich Spirit
The combination of Walter Thompson-Hernández’s screenplay and the powerful performances is the film’s greatest strength, making each character feel incredibly nuanced. We understand why Lil Ant still clings to an idealized version of his father even as Big Ant treats him poorly. Big Ant behaves in ways that can frustrate and upset us, but we can also sense his insecurities about fatherhood beneath his actions. He worries that Lil Ant has placed him on a pedestal he can never live up to, while simultaneously fearing that Lil Ant could follow the same troubled path he did. We can admire Lozita’s determination and resilience while also becoming frustrated by her willingness to give Big Ant second chances. The film extends grace to each of its characters, refusing to reduce them to their mistakes or shortcomings, much like how the film itself is ultimately about the grace we extend to our loved ones, even when they don’t always deserve it.
Malcolm Parsons’ score is haunting and heightens the film’s more emotional scenes. At times, it’s jazzy and wistful, echoing Lil Ant’s sense of imagination and wonder; at others, it becomes more somber, mirroring the harsher realities of his family life. The music is especially effective when paired with the film’s montage-style editing. As Lil Ant talks about Pegasus, the music swells as we see a montage of his family. It’s one of multiple montages that moved me to tears.
Source: Rich Spirit
What makes this movie so powerful is that it feels like a message to Black boys everywhere, letting them know that they are seen and they are loved. Yet despite tackling themes of Black identity, masculinity, and fatherhood, there’s something inherently universal about it. You don’t have to be Black, male, a father, or from Watts to recognize something of yourself in these characters. None of those attributes apply to me personally, and yet If I Go Will They Miss Me hit close to home because my father was in and out of prison when I was a child. I could empathize with Lil Ant’s perception of his father. When your dad isn’t around, it’s easy to let your imagination wander and see him as something other than who he really is. It’s also easy to overlook the fact that your mother is the one holding down the fort and taking care of everyone, because your father becomes this mysterious, mythic figure who repeatedly appears and disappears from your life. I eventually reached a point where I understood the reality of who my father was. He was nowhere near as loving as Big Ant, and he didn’t have his heart in the right place. But there was something bittersweet about seeing Lil Ant’s idea of his father that filled my heart with both hope and melancholy. It reminded me that when you’re a child, it’s so much easier to see the good in people, even when they keep letting you down. It’s also fitting that cinematographer Michael Fernandez shot the film, as he also worked on Natalie Rae and Angela Patton's Daughters (2024), which resonated with me for similar reasons.
If I Go Will They Miss Me is a lyrical, poetic portrait of Black identity, generational trauma, masculinity, fatherhood, and adolescence. It’s well-written, beautifully shot, and features a haunting score and powerful performances. Above all, it’s a tender film about love, whether it’s the idealistic love children have for their parents, the love parents have for their children even if they don’t always know how to express it, and the grace we often extend to our loved ones despite how frequently they disappoint us. It’s a bittersweet reminder of that fleeting period of youth when imagination feels limitless, when we could always see the good in people even if they let us down, and when we could dream of simply flying away. It encourages us to look up at the planes flying through the sky and consider the possibilities. If I Go Will They Miss Me doesn’t just fly; it soars.
If I Go Will They Miss Me will be released in Los Angeles on September 11, 2026 before getting a wide release on September 18, 2026.
