If Only You Knew (2026) – Review and Summary | Newfest Pride 2026

Part of coming of age is reconciling the facts with your parents, but what if they are too in their heads to admit they did anything wrong?

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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“If Only You Knew” Film Details

Movie Summary

Fem and Winston don’t have a close relationship. She lives in New York City, he in Florida, and quality time has been limited since she was 9 – she is now in her late teens/early 20s. But with the death of her grandmother comes the need to understand Winston more. That and, with her grandmother dying, the mourning is affecting not only how she feels about losing a life but also time.

However, with Winston being an old-school Jamaican man, there is a need to wonder if he is willing to be truthful or if he is stuck in the idea that, because he financially provided, that absolves him from all criticism.

Cast and Characters

Fem (Ashley Hernandez)

  • Character Summary: A young person who is just trying to confront misconceptions, and her views on people like her father, head-on, rather than just accept it is what it is.

Winston (Adrian Sinclaire)

  • Character Summary: An old-school Jamaican man who isn’t ready or willing to be held accountable – especially by their own child.

Review and Commentary

Highlight(s)

That Hard and Necessary Conversation [86/100]

One of the main draws of this short is that it not only feels like an extension of Jaylah, with a different writer/director, but also features a coming-of-age element I don’t think we see enough – the reconciliation of facts. As children, you believe everything your parents tell you, but then there is a shift where you question and rebel. Unfortunately, most people then skip over trying to figure out the truth to just accepting, tolerating, or ignoring who their parents are.

That isn’t the case with If Only You Knew. Fem pokes, prods, follows up, and outright confronts Winston in ways you know he doesn’t want or was prepared for – but are necessary. In the conversation, you see Fem trying to determine if Winston will remain her father by title, or if there can be a genuine relationship attached to that.

Already, like his other kids, it seems, he is called by his first name – already hinting at the distance. But, this isn’t a case where it is a privilege, or to separate the business from the personal. Rather, it is the unfortunate separation that can come about when someone hasn’t earned the title; they just inherited it.

And what truly makes this sad to watch is, as much as Fem does push some buttons, and maybe could have worded things better, there is no denying that she is making an effort. It is just, is Winston able to set aside his ego to become the father Fem needs? Not a provider, she is grown and isn’t necessarily dependent on his money. However, clearly she still wants his time, and that seems to be waning in such a way that she, maybe he as well, recognizes that there may come a point she doesn’t want that anymore, so it is now or never.

Overall

Our Rating (86/100): Positive (Worth Seeing) – Recommended

Admittedly, part of the score being so high is because this short was in the same program as Jaylah, stars the same actor, and the two stories link so easily that one feels like a continuation of the other. With that, it feels like a continuation of that story, but years later.

Focusing specifically on what If Only You Knew brings to the table, again, too often it feels like coming-of-age films don’t have that real conversation with a parent or guardian where there is a reconciliation of facts. Which, to me, is skipping a major step. Yes, it is important to know who you are, outside of them, figure out what you like, don’t like, and believe in.

But you can’t omit the people who often are the source. You like this thing because they did or don’t. Your beliefs come from what they exposed you to, and knowing more about the why is necessary for you to not only understand yourself, but also one of the longest and most significant relationships in your life.

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been reviewing media since 2010. He approaches each production with hope, rooting for every story to succeed, and believes criticism should come from unmet potential, while praise is reserved for work that meets or exceeds expectations.