Kara Young and Mallori Johnson star in the film adaptation of Aleshea Harris's off-Broadway play Is God Is, a fiery revenge thriller that blends elements of Kill Bill and Thelma & Louise. The R-rated suspense film follows twins Racine and Anaia, who bear physical and emotional scars from a house fire that nearly killed them as children. The blaze sent them into foster care and left them isolated, self-reliant, and deeply embittered.
A Mother's Last Wish
Their isolation ends when a letter arrives from their mother, Ruby (Vivica A. Fox), whom they believed dead. On her deathbed, Ruby reveals the fire was an act of domestic violence by their father (Sterling K. Brown) and demands they avenge her. Anaia, the shy twin, recoils; Racine, the fearless one, embraces the mission, setting them on a Kill Bill-style quest for closure.
Breaking the Cycle of Violence
Harris, making her feature writing and directing debut, avoids heavy-handed sermonizing. Instead, she forces her protagonists to confront a grim paradox: whether inherited violence can only be broken through another act of violence. The twins debate methods—poison versus stoning—as they travel through Louisiana farmland, their telepathic bond highlighted by ornate typefaces.
Harris demonstrates a firm grasp of scale, shifting from claustrophobic intimacy to vast landscapes. The journey, set to trap music, offers moments of girlish play and freedom, a metaphor for Black life and labor. The supporting cast shines: Erika Alexander as Divine, a preacher's paramour; Mykelti Williamson as a mute personal injury lawyer; and Janelle Monáe as Angie, the twins' father's wife.
Most impressive is Harris's handling of Sterling K. Brown's charisma, revealing him in fragments before showing him in full as a genuinely unlikeable villain. Is God Is reframes a familiar narrative into something sharper, showing that stories rooted in Black trauma can be vibrant and textured. The film ends with an understated affirmation of the human spirit.
Is God Is is out in US cinemas on 15 April, with UK and Australia dates to be announced.
