When I heard about this film, Is God Is, I read the description and was excited to see how the film would present the characters and the story. It sounded intense and messy but most of all creative. After watching the film, it only reinforces my opinions. The film is intense and powerful, a testament to black women taking back their power and their voice.
Is God Is is a thriller film written, produced and directed by Aleshea Harris in her feature directorial debut based on her 2018 play of the same name. The film features two sisters, Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) who live and work together in janitorial jobs. Both young women were disfigured by burns in a fire they believed killed their mother, Racine along her left arm and Anaia on her face and upper chest. One day they get a letter from their mother Ruby (Vivica A. Fox) to come visit her as she is dying. They do so and she gives them one command, she wants them to kill their daddy, the man (Sterling K. Brown) who burned her and caused the damage to both girls. The girls set on a quest to find the man, visiting a past lover Divine (Erika Alexander), his son by Divine Ezekial (Josiah Cross) and his lawyer Chuck Hall (Mykelti Williamson). Eventually they find their way to his home only to find his new wife Angie (Janelle Monáe) and his twin sons. Will they have the strength to take their revenge on both his new family and their father?
This film is impressive. Not only is the writing intense and powerful but so too is the presentation. The writing doesn’t pull punches, this is a messy revenge story and the beats of the music and the style give the audience hints about what is coming each step of the way. While we see Racine eager for revenge, we also see Anaia, quieter, questioning hurting others. When reality presses down on her, we also see Racine standing up for her sister and Anaia finding her voice and her strength. 
The ways the two twin girls interact is emotional as they have a quiet language that they engage in throughout the film. The language gives us hints of the written play but also the mental language that so many twins seem to have between them. It allows us to know what each twin is thinking and also the quiet underlying love between the pair. The bond between them is the most powerful piece of the story. I love the way Racine protects Anaia but I also like the way Anaia tempers Racine’s rage until both come together for one purpose, to prevent their father from hurting others.
The acting of everyone in this film is phenomenal. Kara Young and Mallori Johnson are both extremely skilled in the movie, portraying their characters perfectly. The way both are in sync but also distinct is fantastic. They both allow themselves to be emotional and messy, neither perfect, dark and intense. Sterling K. Brown is incredible as the Man, scary and dark, as he portrays toxic masculinity and a realistic antagonist. Vivica A. Fox is wrathful as Ruby the God, full of rage and pain. Even as dark as it seems, her commands to her daughters are believable. 
This is a film about rage, about being silent too often, about abuse of women and about toxic masculinity. It shows how much pain a community can be in and how they can grow tired of just continuing to keep silent. I love that it’s dark and intense. It is powerful and while there are a few moments that are predictable, they are only so to allow the audience to participate in the emotions the film is generating.
If you like dark, intense thriller films, this one is worth watching. With amazingly powerful performances, a messy revenge and powerful story, there is nothing missing. Beat for beat this is one of the most creative films this year, with a strong message about taking back strength and voice in a community that is silenced too often. Kara Young, Mallori Johnson and Sterling K. Brown is phenomenally good but so is the rest of the cast. This is a brilliant film.
Rating: 5 out of 5 matches
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