One of the best parts of attending film festivals like Sundance is being able to discover hidden gems. A new voice in cinema with a new visual style, something that unexpectedly grabs you and leaves an unforgettable mark. That is the case with “If I Go Will They Miss Me,” a film I didn’t have on my radar but shot up the ranks as my true favorite of Sundance 2026. Lyrical, emotional, assured and poetry in motion, the blend of grounded struggles and magical realism delivers an affecting tale that reshapes how you experience these kinds of stories in movies. Expanding on his 2022 short of the same name, Walter Thompson-Hernández exudes the confidence and creativity of a veteran director, masterfully crafting a deeply personal yet universal story of fatherhood, parenthood, and greek mythology.
Fans of Barry Jenkins and RaMell Ross (“Nickel Boys” was one of my favorite films of 2024) are sure to find themselves drawn to “If I Go Will They Miss Me” as Thompson-Hernández imbues his story with such emotional tenderness and boundary pushing visuals. It tells the story of Big Ant (J.Alphonse Nicholson) a troubled father living in Watts who has been in and out of prison his whole life. Upon his recent release, he returns home to reunite with his wife Lozita (Danielle Brooks) and his kids. But he is haunted by visions and an emotional immaturity that hold him back from truly taking care of his family, particularly his son Little Ant (Bodhi Jordan Dell) a young artist in need of a role model who views his distant father as a god.
There’s no manual for families, and “If I Go Will They Miss Me” begins to unpack fatherhood, toxic masculinity, cyclical mistakes, the need for connection and a desire to be free all while living their lives beneath the soaring flights of LAX.
Father/son relationship cinema isn’t new by any stretch, but “If I Go Will They Miss Me” takes a new approach that makes it all feel fresh and unique. Michael Fernandez’s cinematography is breathtaking, each new etherial sequence soul stirring and entrancing. Certain moments left me on the edge of my seat, locked in and emotionally invested as each new dream as memory unfolds. Each journey of fractured memory and mystical interpretations unlocks a new way to experience its core themes. It may leave this world once in a while visually, but Thompson-Hernández is smart enough to never lose sight of the ground no matter how often he asks us to take flight. Its quiet moments are propelled by tremendous performances from Brooks, Nicholson, and Dell, who all seem dialed into the family dynamics being explored. There’s an aching longing from them all; the mother wanting their children to have a father, a son desperate for a father’s affection, and a flawed father wanting to be better but not really knowing how.
It is truly amazing how much is packed into something so simple, making “If I Go Will They Miss Me” a powerfully ambitious project that all comes together in the end. This one genuinely floored me, and it drops an unforgettable line that broke my heart but captures the heart of the film: “Don’t be afraid of how he sees you, man.” The truth is, none of us really know how to be a father. And for someone like Big Ant whose life is riddled with mistakes leaves driven by a fear of who their children will grow up to be if has a part to play. Will they be like me? Will they inherit the worst of me? How do I keep him from a life of struggle if I don’t know what I’m doing? How can I be who my son wants me to be? These are questions that plague Big Ant and fuel the tension and quiet storm of “If I Go Will They Miss Me.” It operates on a tight rope of restraint and ambition, never letting things get too far away they become unreachable but never being afraid to visually take flight at will. There are so few filmmakers who can barely manage one of these, let alone craft a balanced film that does both extremely well.
I can’t say enough about “If I Go Will They Miss Me.” It’s what Sundance is all about, providing a pathway for new voices to emerge and reach new audiences with their stories and it has put Thompson-Hernández high on my list of directors to watch. There really is nothing like it even when it is drawing inspiration from similar filmmakers. It has the poetic flare of “All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt” but the emotional narrative bones of “My Father’s Shadow,” a knockout combination but never feels like it’s trying to copy either of them. And the score – my god. Evocative and quietly stirring, Malcolm Parson’s piano heavy score is unforgettable and takes the film to new heights every time it kicks in.
“If I Go Will They Miss Me” is a singular vision that transforms what cinema and storytelling can be and delivers a gut-punch of emotion through gorgeous lyrical visions and thematic resonance that stay with you even if you aren’t a parent. We’re all just trying to make it, one mistake at a time. And who we are, who we want to be and how our loved ones see us aren’t always the same, leaving us to grapple with our identity and try reconcile them all together to make us whole.
It is a truly profound film and combined with its beautiful imagery, magnificent score and assured direction, “If I Go Will They Miss Me” is the first great film of the year.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go hug my dad.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
“If I Go Will They Miss Me” had its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on January 24th.
