Particle.news
Download on the App Store

‘If I Go Will They Miss Me’ Draws Strong Sundance Reviews for Visual Ambition and Danielle Brooks

Walter Thompson-Hernández expands his 2022 award-winning short into a magical-realist family portrait rooted in Watts.

Overview

  • The feature premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, earning praise for bold visuals and an intimate emotional core.
  • Danielle Brooks, also an executive producer, is widely hailed for her nuanced turn as matriarch Lozita.
  • Set in South Los Angeles, the drama follows twelve-year-old Lil Ant and his father Big Ant after a prison return strains their bond.
  • Critics note the film’s lyrical use of aviation imagery, animated sketches, and Greek myth, with some finding the metaphors unevenly integrated.
  • After its Sundance debut, the film is currently seeking U.S. distribution.