This summer, celebrated playwright Aleshea Harris makes her feature directorial debut with Is God Is, an adaptation of her highly acclaimed, award-winning play of the same name. Harris’ play opened Off-Broadway at Soho Rep in 2018, and now, 8 years later, her story of Black female rage, eye-for-an-eye justice, and sisterly bonds hits the big screen.
After a childhood spent in foster homes, twin sisters, Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson), receive a letter from their mother, Ruby (Vivica A. Fox), whom they refer to as God. Years ago, all three suffered at the hands of their father (Sterling K. Brown). In some instances, he’s credited as the Man, and in others, he’s called the Monster. Considering he set his wife on fire in front of their kids, I’d say the latter is more accurate. Ruby survived, but she sustained disfiguring burn scars, as did young Racine and Anaia when they tried to help her.
The horrific incident greatly altered their lives, especially Anaia, whose scars cover most of her face. As their mother lies on her deathbed, she asks them to murder their father, or more specifically, “Make your daddy dead. Real dead.” Killing the man who tried to burn your mother alive seems like a no-brainer at first. But the weight of the request shakes them, and their different responses to the idea of inherited violence are compelling to see play out.
Throughout the film, we see Racine and Anaia playing into their roles as the Rough One and the Quiet One, respectively, but also showing that who they are is much more nuanced than their descriptors. Racine fights anyone who gets in the way of them fulfilling their destiny with one rock-sock swing after another, while Anaia can be found cowering nearby.
Along their vengeance journey, the girls meet some eccentric characters, including the woman he was with after the fire, Divine the Healer (Erika Alexander), and her son, Ezekiel (Josiah Cross). They walk in during an over-the-top sermon, where she declares, “You ain’t shit, devil!” (It’s a beautifully written script, but this is, hands down, my favorite line.)
They also come across Chuck Hall (Mykelti Williamson), their father’s lawyer, who also found himself on the receiving end of his wrath, as well as his new wife, Angie (Janelle Monáe). Even if they’re only in one scene, all the actors play the hell out of their roles. Sterling K. Brown always delivers amazing performances, and his turn as a soft-spoken sociopath really stands out in his filmography. Racine and Anaia are at the center of the story, and what really anchors the film are Young and Johnson’s chemistry and their ability to fully embody these characters.
Set to the infectious tunes of Chaii’s “WOW (Look At Me)” and Beyoncé’s “Ya Ya,” the trailer for Is God Is perfectly encapsulates the tone and energy of the film. The character title cards and film grain give it a gritty, 1970s Blaxploitation grindhouse feel, similar to Juel Taylor’s They Cloned Tyrone and most of Robert Rodriguez’s work. The vibes are very Tarantino, specifically Kill Bill, Death Proof, and a little Django Unchained, with the unapologetic Blackness of Sinners.
IMDb categorizes the film as a drama mystery, and while there’s plenty of family drama, there’s really not a mystery to solve. It’s a genre mashup of Spaghetti Western, Greek tragedy, and revenge thriller, with dashes of dark comedy, hip-hop, and “Good for Her” horror.
Even though the film is filled with plenty of blood and violence, the choice not to reveal everything only adds to the suspense and unease. It doesn’t feel like it’s shying away from being too graphic, but rather further conveying the indescribable level of pain and suffering of our protagonists and the Man/Monster’s other victims. The sounds from the out-of-frame carnage — little girls screaming and crying, fire roaring and crackling — are still enough to make your stomach turn.
The film captures the familiar sounds of summer, mostly the near-constant buzzing of various insects when they’re in the South, as well as specific noises like the clicking of long nails braiding hair, moving on a couch with a plastic cover, and eating ribs. But nothing’s more menacing than the sound of someone lighting a match.
Alexander Dynan’s (Goodnight Mommy) cinematography fully immerses the audience in a hot and humid atmosphere. It highlights the differences between the sisters, who are sweating a lot on their road trip, and the people they meet, who seem more “put together” and can sit in air-conditioned homes.
Transitions from warm and vibrant to cooler and monochromatic signal an incoming flashback to something horrible, usually described to us by the person who lived through it. The character narration and uniquely arranged on-screen typography are pulled right from the pages of the play. In both formats, the story maintains a tense and exciting pace that never lulls.
With Is God Is, Aleshea Harris crafted an intense, thrilling, and darkly funny film that explores the burden of generational trauma and reconciling with one’s capacity for violence when family is involved.
Harris has such a command of visual language and tone, you’d never know she was a first-time director. It’s a film that will stay with you long after viewing, possibly because aspects of the ending are rather frustrating, but mostly because it’s such a visceral experience. Harris is definitely an auteur to watch, and I’m eager to see what she does next.
Is God Is hits theaters on May 15.
