Kara Young and Mallori Johnson star in Is God Is, a fiery revenge thriller that transitions from stage to screen with electrifying intensity. Directed by Aleshea Harris in her feature debut, the film follows twins Racine and Anaia on a quest to kill their father after learning he set the fire that scarred them as children. With echoes of Kill Bill and Thelma & Louise, the story weaves together themes of generational trauma, sisterhood, and vengeance.
A Story of Survival and Vengeance
The twins, played by Young and Johnson, bear both physical and emotional scars from the blaze that nearly killed them. The fire sent them into foster care, leaving them isolated and bitter. Their lives are upended when a letter arrives from their mother, Ruby (Vivica A Fox), whom they thought dead. On her deathbed, Ruby reveals that the fire was an act of domestic violence by their father (Sterling K Brown) and demands they avenge her. Anaia hesitates, but Racine eagerly embraces the mission, setting them on a Kill Bill-style journey.
Masterful Direction and Performances
Harris deftly avoids heavy-handed sermonizing, drawing instead from Black church traditions about generational curses. The film forces its protagonists to confront a grim paradox: can a cycle of violence only be broken through more violence? The twins debate methods—poison versus stoning—as they travel through Louisiana farmland. Their telepathic connection, highlighted by ornate typefaces, underscores their intuitive bond.
Harris demonstrates a firm grasp of scale, shifting from claustrophobic intimacy to vast landscapes. The road trip allows moments of girlish play and freedom, a metaphor for Black life and labor. Supporting performances shine: Erika Alexander is a riot as Divine, the preacher paramour; Mykelti Williamson delivers a powerful physical performance as a lawyer; and Janelle Monáe is a flustered mess as Angie, the father's wife.
Most impressive is Harris's handling of Sterling K Brown. She reveals him in fragments—his smile, his turned back, smoke curling into the night—before showing him in full, reshaping TV's most congenial leading man into a genuinely unlikeable villain. It's a feat few Hollywood peers can claim.
Is God Is may borrow from familiar formulas, but it reframes them into something sharper and more searching. It shows that stories rooted in Black trauma can be vibrant and textured, ending with an understated affirmation of the human spirit. The film is out in US cinemas on 15 April, with UK and Australia dates to be announced.
