About the film (courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios and Orion Pictures):
Two sisters embark on an epic quest for revenge, confronting a charged family history that will push them to extraordinary lengths. The film is Aleshea Harris’ directorial debut and is based on Harris’ adaptation of her award-winning play of the same name.
Clocking in at just under 100 minutes, Is God Is is a dense, unflinching piece of cinema that demands the audience’s full attention and a sturdy stomach. Adapted by Aleshea Harris from her own critically acclaimed play, this non-traditional revenge saga is the type of film where you frequently find yourself whispering, “did that really just happen?” It is a blunt, stylistic assault on the senses that gives the viewer a lot to digest long after the house lights come up.
The emotional core of the story rests on the shoulders of Kara Young as Racine, known as “the Rough One,” and Mallori Johnson as Anaia, “the Quiet One.” These sisters have survived a hellish upbringing, relying on a delicate internal balance to navigate a world that has been anything but kind. Their bond is tested when their mother, played with chilling intensity by Vivica A. Fox, re-enters their lives with a singular, unimaginable command: find and kill their father, portrayed by Sterling K. Brown. What follows is a descent into a traumatic past that fuels a mission of absolute carnage.
Visually and tonally, Is God Is feels like a spiritual descendant of the hyper-stylized violence found in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), filtered through the provocative, socially conscious lens of a filmmaker like Spike Lee. It handles the concept of vengeance without flinching, pushing through scenes of cruelty and chaos with a confidence that suggests the production never once considered holding back. This is daring, risky filmmaking that prioritizes raw impact over traditional logic, resulting in a finished product that is as profound as it is provocative.
Admittedly, the experience won’t be for every moviegoer. The narrative often stretches the boundaries of feasibility, and even the title itself might be a minor point of contention for those who prefer more conventional phrasing. However, a film’s primary directive is to entertain and evoke a reaction, and on those fronts, Is God Is succeeds brilliantly. It embraces the “movie-ness” of its premise, much like the surrealist revenge beats found in Oldboy (2003), ensuring that the entertainment value remains high even when the events on screen feel impossible.
While it may not be a “perfect” film in the classical sense, the sheer audacity of Aleshea Harris’s vision makes Is God Is a standout entry in the genre. For those who can look past the blood and the bleakness, there is a high level of artistry to be appreciated here. It is a gamble of a movie, but for those seeking blunt, in-your-face storytelling that refuses to play it safe, the payoff is more than worth the price of admission.
Is God Is arrives in theaters on Friday, May 15, 2026. If you’re looking for a ride that doesn’t pull any punches, this is it.
