Is God Is (2026) Movie Review: Righteous Anger within an Uneven and Provocative Stage-To-Screen Adaptation

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There is no doubting the passion behind “Is God Is,” the feature film directorial debut of Aleshea Harris, which is based on her own play of the same name. It’s designed to make its viewers uncomfortable and makes bold stylistic choices that many first-time directors would not think to do. However, “Is God Is” is more serviceable as a highlight reel for Harris’ talents as a writer of eloquent dialogue than it is a competent narrative.

What works on the stage does not always translate to the screen, and the formal intensity found in the original medium in which “Is God Is” is dampened when given the artifice of cinema. Most disappointing is that, despite its loaded material, “Is God Is” offers few surprises and becomes too didactic for its own good.

“Is God Is” is the story of the sisters Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson), who receive a surprising message from their bedridden mother, whom they refer to as “God” (Vivica A. Fox). Their mother was brutally attacked and burned by their father, whom the girls only know as “The Monster” (Sterling K. Brown).

They’ve reached the age at which they can confront him. God gives them a mission to kill their father, but the path to reach him is an unwieldy one. Along their cross-country journey, they meet the self-absorbed preacher Divine (Erika Alexander), the seedy lawyer Chuck Hall (Mykelti Williamson), and their father’s new bride (Janelle Monae).

“Is God Is” is an attempted subversion of revenge fantasies, but the structure is surprisingly banal. It’s most composed of confrontations in which the sisters confront someone connected to their past, gain new insights about what happened, and move on to the next set piece. It makes each supporting character feel less important and builds hype towards a conclusion that could never withstand those expectations.

The direct-to-camera style in which characters defiantly speak in monologues feels the most derived from the stage play, and occasionally emulates the humanism of Jonathan Demme, but there’s a surprising consistency to the performances. Rarely do the performances feel “lived in,” as they seemingly exist just as a projection of the societal roles that Harris was interested in exploring. This may have been an artistic choice, but there’s little emotion to be found within the piecing together of their past when the hints are so overt.

The differentiation between flashbacks and the present is done using striking changes to the color palette, which feel reminiscent of the ‘90s neo-noir revenge thrillers that may have inspired Harris in the first place. The scenes set in the past have a nearly parodical use of black-and-white, muted details, and slow motion that feel rather generic when considering material that should be more explosive.

The exploration of trauma is also sadly familiar, especially when the film seems to wave away the ambiguities of some of its most confrontational situations. The characters in “Is God Is” are given monikers like “monster” or “God” that describe their entire essence, leaving little to the imagination. It’s another artistic choice that simply doesn’t work because of how little room there is for the actors to bring any depth to their roles.

The closest “Is God Is” has to a successful nuance is the dynamic between Racine and Anaia, who are dubbed “The Rough One” and “The Quiet One,” respectively. Racine suffered more abuse and has become more openly defiant and willing to provoke her opponents, leading her to be more prone to violence. Conversely, Anaia has had severe facial scarring as a result of her father’s attack on their mother, and has developed shyness as a result of her perception of being “ugly.”

Johnson’s performance is the best of the entire film, as Anaia is a character who realizes that choosing to love, forgive, and accept is a challenging one, which might not always bring her rewards. Her reactions all stem from an inability to accept her own authority, making her more submissive and willing to let Racine make most of the decisions. Young’s performance, while certainly memorable, rests in a similar pitch of rage throughout that makes it difficult to discern her vulnerabilities. It’s intended to be a tough performance that is not traditionally likable, but the film too often shows its cards in explaining how the viewers should feel.

The moments of violence border on exploitation because of how sharp and abrasive they are, but both the action and the staging of “Is God Is” are surprisingly dull. It’s a visually flat film that overplays the recurring imagery of the sisters mirroring each other, and includes the type of didactic editing choices that would usually feel completely amateur. Interesting stylization ideas, such as the sisters being able to communicate non-verbally with text that is readable, aren’t used frequently enough to not feel like a gimmick, and many of the non-sequiturs between scenes have little value other than to appear to be “cool.”

It’s a lot of pomp and circumstance for a film with serious pacing issues and glacially slow moments of exposition, despite feeling underdeveloped. It’s particularly underwhelming that Alexander and Williamson, both of whom give very interesting performances, are only given the opportunity to hint at what a compelling backstory would look like. Fox’s role is one that is defined only by trauma, and Brown can only do his best with a mustache-twirling, villainous role that voices his sinister intentions so succinctly that it becomes exhausting.

“Is God Is” is bound to have its proponents, as the ideas it sets forth about the necessity of anger and the cycle of self-love are worthy. Those who offer dissenting voices might be criticized for not sharing the same experiences of the character, or not having the curiosity to give them their moment. Yet, it’s the fact that “Is God Is” has such loft ambitions that makes its lackluster construction so frustrating. Harris has the potential to be a great filmmaker, but she might be better suited for material that was designed exclusively to be cinematic.