One does not need to strike a match to see the flames of rage burning in Aleshea Harris’ sensational debut Is God Is. The simmering heat is felt from the opening frame of the film when the camera lingers on the backs of two twin sisters, Racine and Anaia, sitting on a bench. When Anaia is mocked and called ugly by other kids, Racine calmly picks up a nearby bat and walks of screen towards the hecklers.
As the camera stays firmly planted on Anaia, the sounds of children wailing and groaning in pain fill the air. The equally amusing and chilling moment, punctuated by Racine calmly returning to her seat and placing her arms around her sister, not only establishes the deep protective bond the siblings share, but also provides the audience with a glimpse into the volatile fury that has been stitched into their DNA.
A violence that has been passed down to them from their father like an unwanted heirloom that they can never fully part with.
Forced to wear the physical scars of such an inheritance, Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) have spent most of their young lives living on the margins of society. Bounced around from one problematic foster care home to the next, the sisters have only had each other to rely on since their abusive father (Sterling K. Brown) set their mother (Vivica A. Fox) on fire in front of them. While Racine’s arm and other body parts were burned, it was Anaia who has had to live with the facial disfigurement the incident caused.
Treated like a hideous monster by many who only see the blemishes and not the compassionate human underneath, Anaia has reduced herself to seeking attention from an older man who cannot even stand to look at her when making love. Understanding that her sister is the more sensitive of the two, Racine has taken it upon herself to be the hammer that puts any nail in their path in its place. A trait that will come in handy when God herself sends them on a quest.
The almighty in question is their estranged mother who they longed believed was dead. Now on her death bed, their mother has ordained that the siblings kill their sadistic father, the man who has caused them all so much hardship.
Despite having no experience with murder, the sisters dutifully agree to their mother’s wishes and embark on a journey of revenge.
Using their father’s last known acquaintances as the breadcrumbs that will lead them to his current whereabouts, Racine and Anaia come face-to-face with a cast of characters who lives have been altered by their father’s presence. There is Divine (Erika Alexander), the shady pastor of a church, who had a relationship with him years ago and still holds onto his old clothes and left over items in a shrine like cabinet. Believing that he will return one day to assume his throne in her congregation, even though he left her while she was pregnant with their son Ezekiel (Josiah Cross), she holds tight to the notion that their love is meant to be.
While Divine chooses to only see the best in Racine and Anaia’s father, others like lawyer Chuck Hall (Mykelti Williamson) and their dad’s current wife Angie (Janelle Monáe) know the true evil that lurks within. Hall aid the man in getting acquitted in court after the fire incident and was repaid by having his tongue ripped out by the sibling’s father. Now he trains everyday, even hiring a woman to knock him around each week, so that he will be ready for the day their dad comes back to finish him off. Living in constant fear is something that Angie knows all too well. Working hard to ensure her immaculate home, which she shares with the sibling’s father and her own twin sons, Scotch (Xavier Mills) and Riley (Justen Ross), remains meticulously to her partner’s liking, Angie has reached her breaking point. Using the guise of a “girls’ weekend” as cover, she as set a motion plans to spouse’s clutches once and for all.
As Racine and Anaia intersect with this vibrant cast of characters from their father’s life, the film plays out like a pulsing 1970’s revenge tale filled with well-earned righteous fury. Adapting her stage play for the big screen, Harris constructs a consistently surprising work that is both darkly funny and bloody without ever sacrificing the emotional bonds at its core.
Conveying a rebellious and playful energy, take the way the film captures the unspoken conversations the siblings have, Is God Is backs up its stylish swagger with plenty of substance.
Frequently touching on the notion of mirroring, whether showing the siblings in split screens or focusing on the parallel arcs characters have, Harris’ searing work contemplates the nature of inherited violence and how it keeps many trapped in a vicious cycle. Constructing one of modern cinema’s most menacing villains, thanks to Sterling K. Brown’s terrifyingly calm performance, the film captures not only the ways Black women are left to fend for themselves in the face of abuse, but also the people and systems that often prop up the abusers.
Giving the sisters the opportunity to be unapologetic about the anger they feel, Is God Is reminds viewers that vengeance is like a broken arrow that rarely flies in a straight line.
Showing how even the innocent get caught in the crossfire, Harris skillfully forces the audience to question how far is too far for the siblings. While one wants to see their father get his comeuppance, the viewer is acutely aware that each choice the siblings make will have lingering reverberations.
The impact of each decision is deeply felt thanks to the sensational performances from the ensemble cast. Ensuring that their characters remain vibrantly distinct, without becoming caricatures, each performer leaves quite an impression. Carrying much of the film on their shoulders, Young and Johnson are exceptional as the central sisters and bring rich layers that delve much deeper than the rough twin and quiet twin appearance on the surface.
One of the years best films, Is God Is announces Harris as a filmmaker with a unique voice and distinct vision. An audacious and wildly original film, Harris weaves an unforgettable tale of revenge whose pulsing heart never misses a beat.
