by Chantal Ashford, Contributing Writer
I still remember seeing the trailer for Is God Is and immediately being pulled in. The roaring guitars and the growl of Beyoncé’s “Ya Ya” set the tone perfectly — loud, theatrical, dramatic, almost daring you to look away. And honestly? The film delivers on that promise. In a landscape full of sequels, reboots, prequels, and endless IP recycling, here comes an original story led by a Black director and ensemble cast, swinging for the fences. For a directorial debut, Aleshea Harris comes out absolutely fearless, adapting her own 2018 play into something strange, stylish, and unforgettable.
The story follows twin sisters Racine and Anaia, played by Kara Young and Mallori Johnson, who are summoned by their severely burned, bedridden mother (Vivica A. Fox). Their mission is simple in words but impossible in execution: travel south and kill the father responsible for the scars they’ve carried their entire lives. Their mother becomes a near-mythical presence, almost divine in the way the sisters speak of her — “God,” giving them one final command to fulfill.
What unfolds isn’t just a revenge story. It becomes something bigger: a meditation on trauma, sisterhood, mercy, and whether vengeance can ever actually heal the wounds left behind. As the sisters travel, meeting people connected to their father and uncovering pieces of the past, they begin questioning the very thing they set out to do. Is revenge enough? Or is there another path?
What I loved most is that Is God Is refuses subtlety. This film is big. Big emotions, big performances, big swings. This film wants you uncomfortable. It wants you laughing at things you’re not sure you should laugh at. It wants to shock you. And it does. There are moments between Racine and Anaia where they communicate in ways I honestly haven’t seen on film before, and it gives the movie this heightened, almost mythical quality.
Young and Johnson absolutely carry this film. Young’s Racine is fury personified — sharp edges, bottled rage, ready to burn the world down. Johnson’s Anaia is softer, more inward, more emotional, but no less strong. Their chemistry is incredible. They genuinely feel like sisters, finishing each other’s thoughts, understanding one another without needing words. There’s a scene in the third act that perfectly captures how opposite and alike they are, and it hit me hard.
The supporting cast is stacked even in smaller roles. Mykelti Williamson, Erika Alexander, and Janelle Monáe all make their moments count. And then there’s Sterling K. Brown. The man simply does not miss. He isn’t in the film long — maybe under thirty minutes total — but every appearance matters. When he finally arrives fully into the story, it changes the energy of the entire movie. Brown is unreal.
Harris gives us something weird, bold, and deeply human with Is God Is. It’s about revenge, yes, but it’s also about what comes after pain. Can you survive what someone did to you? Can you forgive? Should you? And what happens if you can’t?
Everyone keeps talking about wanting original stories again. Well, here it is. This is the movie people say they want Hollywood to make. Don’t wait for streaming. Support it. Go see it. Seriously — run. This is one of those films that reminds you original storytelling still has teeth.
Rating: Loved It
Is God Is, is currently in theaters.
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