In “Is God Is,” Aleshea Harris tells the story of two sisters who embark on a revenge-fueled journey after confronting a painful family history. The film marks Harris’ directorial debut, adapted from her award-winning play of the same name. Instead of shying away from the angry Black woman stereotype, Harris leans into it, carving out space for nuanced and justified rage that Black women are rarely afforded. From the stage to the screen, this is a story that brings vengeance and thrill to a whole new spectrum.
In the film, twins Racine and Anaia are characterized as “The Rough One” and “The Quiet One,” but those labels run far deeper than the surface. The emotional experience and autonomy of each twin is shaped by the roles others have assigned them. To take agency over your own life, the film suggests, you must first reclaim the right to define yourself. The authenticity of the sisterhood is what makes every moment of conflict feel raw and undeniable. Mallori Johnson, who plays Anaia, described an intense mental preparation process to fully immerse herself in the role alongside her co-star Kara Young.
“We were already building the foundation of what it would mean to move and communicate in tandem with each other,” Johnson said. “As we went on and as we shot the story, Kara and I formed a real genuine bond that added so much to what we were already doing.”
Aleshea Harris brought to life a story so genuinely unpredictable and electric, drawing inspiration from the literary works of Toni Morrison and Octavia Butler and the rich tradition of Black women’s storytelling. Each character carries trauma differently, moving through the world in ways that are personal yet familiar. The story explores how rage, violence, and inherited pain don’t simply disappear; they move throughout generations.
“Anaia and Racine are so beautifully written. Aleshea is brilliant, right? She is writing on multiple levels,” Young said. “The representation of who they are manifests as the two different responses we have as Black women.”
The emotional complexity of each twin is something they had to endure from the inside out. Racine is outwardly angry but also deeply vulnerable and tender, while Anaia is not merely sad or downtrodden but fierce, complex, and very much a fighter. Their character arcs resist easy resolution, and by the end they are not the same, but they had to walk through everything they walked through to finally see the sunrise.
“There’s a lot of embodiment of things that I’ve felt and seen and things I want to disrupt by way of these twins with this story,” Harris said.
“Is God Is” is a necessary watch for those who yearn for exceptional storytelling that keeps you on the edge of your seat and leaves you feeling empowered, seen, and somehow new again.