It’s almost a testament to independent cinema that a film like Is God Is exists. Based on her critically-acclaimed play, Aleshea Harris’s film follows sisters Racine and Anaia (Kara Young and Mallori Johnson), two women badly burned by their father (Sterling K. Brown) as children. When contacted by their dying mother, Ruby (Vivica A. Fox), the two girls embark on a dark revenge adventure to “kill their daddy dead.” Is God Is is a daring, Southern Gothic revenge comedy that dares you to either root for its protagonists or root against them. Harris brings her play alive with vibrant style, displaying a confident direction that leaves audiences anticipating what may come next from a new unique voice of American cinema.

The ying-yang characterization of Racine and Anaia is brought engagingly to life by Young and Johnson’s performances. Racine, who carries burns on her entire left arm, is the fiery sister of the two, always eager to fight (and possibly kill) anyone who disrespects her sister’s burns. Anaia, whose face and chest are burned, is the more rational sister, putting forth reason as her resolve. Racine is impulsive where Anaia is thoughtful but both women are no doubt ride-or-die for each other. Kara Young (I Love Boosters) brings a hilarious and engaging intensity to Racine, lighting up the screen with her scene-chewing, biting dialogue. Mallori Johnson (The Other Zoey) brings a vulnerable tenderness to Anaia, giving just the right pauses and baffled responses to her sister’s impulsive resolve.

The level of talent in this supporting cast is second-to-none; every actor, for the short amount of time they are on screen in this 100-minute thrill ride, brings it home. Vivica A. Fox (Kill Bill, Volume 1), made unrecognizable in makeup, brings a mysterious, darkly comedic presence to Rudy, the dying, badly burned mother who orders Racine and Anaia to embark on their dark mission. Erika Alexander (American Fiction) has a hilarious segment as Divine, the foot-stomping, over-enthusiastic church leader who serves as a clue to the whereabouts of Racine and Anaia’s father. Another clue to his whereabouts lies within Chuck Hall, a slick defense attorney played by Mykelti Williamson (Justified) who, again, chews the most of his screentime and definitely leaves an impression on the audience. Janelle Monáe (Moonlight) plays Angie, the “new wife”. She delivers a layer of unexpected death in her segment as an abused, bourgeois wife who is in the process of escaping until she crosses paths with the leading ladies. Sterling K. Brown (Biosphere) brings a dangerous and charismatic performance to the role of their target.

Is God Is was a critical hit that underperformed at the box office. This is truly tragic because Harris conducts this directorial debut with a confident, eclectic style. She doesn’t waste a dollar of her $14.8 million budget, turning this dark tale of generational trauma and patricide into a grindhouse-like comic thriller. She brings a Southern Gothic mysticism to this film’s themes of spirituality, revenge, and morality. There is a deep level to Harris’s writing that speaks directly to the idea of generational trauma and how it infects descendants-to-be. A witty line said by Racine to Anaia in defense of their dark mission: “We come from a man who tried to kill our mama and a mama who wants to kill that man. It’s in the blood.” As for spirituality, Racine and Anaia constantly refer to their badly burned mother as “God” since she created them. This notion of mother being God and father being Devil is interesting and it gives a deeper meaning to the film’s handling of attempted patricide. Even in the film’s title (Is God Is sounding really close to “Is Goddess”), Harris challenges the molds of figures in our lives we hold as unbreakable idols and the damage that could do to a person’s sound judgment.

This Blu-Ray release doesn’t have any supplemental features to note, but I would definitely recommend this film for any lovers of nuanced revenge films like the Kill Bill films and Southern Gothic films like Eve’s Bayou (1997).

Available on VOD June 2^nd, 2026.
Available on Blu-ray and DVD July 28^th, 2026.

Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews

Tags: adaptation, Aleshea Harris, Alliance Entertainment, Amazon MGM Studios, based on a play, CYRK, drama, Erika Alexander, home release, home video, Is God Is, Janelle Monáe, Josiah Cross, Kara Young, Linden Productions, Mallori Johnson, Mykelti Williamson, Orion Pictures, Sterling K. Brown, streaming, thriller, Viva Maude, Vivica A. Fox