Based on the stage play of the same name, and even written & directed by the original playwright Aleshea Harris, Is God Is is a revenge thriller that follows a pair of twin sisters as they’re recruited by their mother to hunt their abusive father, who incited a firey incident that left them all disfigured, physically and emotionally. First off, I have to give props to the performances. Between the endearing sister dynamic between our two polar opposite protagonists to the eccentric supporting characters that the sisters encounter along the journey who each have their own motivations tied to the demise of our antagonist, there wasn’t a single performance among this star-studded cast didn’t play a significant part in moving this action packed narrative forward. Kara Young and Mallori Johnson had the best chemistry as our two main protagonists, with their adoration for each other despite their clashing personalities and the way they communicated with each other without speaking being very entertaining to watch. As a matter of fact, every member of this cast, from Vivica A. Fox to Janelle Monae, played an enjoyable role, no matter how small. A standout performance for me was Sterling K. Brown as the villain, who managed to be incredibly cold and menacing despite his calculating demeanor. The setting accompanied by the stylized cinematography and visuals fit Is God Is quite comfortably within the Southern gothic subgenre, with the film’s dialogue choices, pacing, and epic revenge narrative reminding me heavily of Quentin Tarantino films such as Kill Bill, even complete with flashbacks and some fairly brutal action set pieces. (Southern gothic is a subgenre of story that places gothic or mythic narrative elements within a Southern setting, with Sinners being the most recent example.) All of these aspects come together to tell a compelling story that goes beyond your average revenge thriller by utilizing its themes of generational trauma and misogyny to drive our protagonists’ mission and our antagonist’s resolve. Aleshea Harris did a fantastic job with this film, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of her work in the future. Score: 9/10
Noah Robinson 