‘If I Go Will They Miss Me’ Is Certified Fresh and Now on Digital: Why Danielle Brooks and J. Alphonse Nicholson’s Sundance Drama Is Winning Critics Over

Every film festival has a handful of movies that quietly steal the show. They arrive without a huge budget or a blockbuster marketing campaign, and they leave audiences talking for months. Sundance 2026 produced one of those stories in a lyrical father-son drama set in Los Angeles.

Writer-director Walter Thompson-Hernández premiered ‘If I Go Will They Miss Me’ at the festival in January, in its NEXT section. The film stars J. Alphonse Nicholson and Danielle Brooks, with young Bodhi Jordan Dell in the central role of Lil Ant. Brooks and Nicholson also serve as executive producers.

Since then, the movie has built a steady reputation. It is now Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 96% Tomatometer score, and it is available on digital platforms.

The film’s score is based on 46 reviews, and its Popcornmeter audience score stands at 94%. The Los Angeles Times called it a gorgeous must-see, The Hollywood Reporter described it as moving to the point of tears and Variety praised it as a one-of-a-kind Sundance discovery. Rotten Tomatoes has also included it on its list of Certified Fresh movies.

The Hollywood Reporter’s review argued that the film avoids both misery and glossy sentimentality, instead finding intense emotion in a disarming sense of tenderness. RogerEbert.com placed it on a continuum of Black filmmakers that runs from Oscar Micheaux and Charles Burnett to Spike Lee and Raven Jackson.

The story takes place in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, where 12-year-old Lil Ant sees the world and his father through eyes full of myth and wonder. His father, Big Ant, has returned home after time in prison, and the two must find a way to reconnect. Lil Ant also senses mysterious visions, from airplanes to Greek gods, that seem to follow him through his everyday world.

Brooks plays Lozita, Lil Ant’s mother, who is caught between her son and her husband. She comforts her child while grappling with her own guilt and frustration. The film uses a lightly surreal touch to explore imagination, family and the grace people extend to those they love.

The movie began as a 12-minute short of the same title, which won an award at Sundance in 2022. That short was inspired by a 2020 incident in which a Delta jet dumped fuel over neighborhoods and schools in southeast Los Angeles. In the short, a young boy is fascinated by Pegasus, the Greek mythological figure.

Thompson-Hernández returned to the festival in January 2026 with the expanded feature. Its imagery is described as gently hyperreal, with patient, mostly static frames that give scenes space to breathe.

Critics have singled out the acting. Several reviews praised Nicholson for bringing energy, tension and personality to Big Ant, while Brooks anchors the emotional core as the family’s matriarch. Young Dell has also drawn praise for carrying a film told largely from a child’s perspective.

Nicholson has said that being a father himself shaped his approach. Playing the role meant looking in the mirror and confronting how much he may have gotten wrong.

Official trailer for Walter Thompson-Hernandez’s ‘IF I GO WILL THEY MISS ME’ starring Danielle Brooks, J. Alphonse Nicholson and Bodhi Dell. A boy sees ghostly figures of other boys in his neighborhood while grappling with his father’s distance. In theaters September 18. https://t.co/hsordF9U8O

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) August 20, 2026

Not every critic has been won over. Some reviews found the pace meandering, with scenes that function like vignettes stitched together. Others felt that the storytelling grew repetitive or that the emotion was spelled out too directly.

Even so, the overall reception has been overwhelmingly positive, and one review noted that none of the flaws proved fatal.

The film has also collected prizes on the festival circuit. According to listings, it won the Grand Jury Prize for narrative feature at the Dallas International Film Festival, Best Narrative at the Bentonville Film Festival and a Jury Prize at Deauville. It was also nominated for the NEXT Innovator Award at Sundance.

A limited theatrical run began on September 11 through distributor Rich Spirit, and the film has grossed $1 million at the domestic box office in five weeks. That is a strong showing for a small drama.

As of October 23, the film is available to purchase through iTunes, YouTube, Amazon and Fandango. It remains in a select number of theaters because of its strong showing. At about 1 hour and 32 minutes, it’s a short, absorbing watch.

For viewers who missed it in theaters, the digital release is a chance to see one of the year’s best-reviewed independent films. It is also a reminder that small stories can leave a big impression.

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