‘Is God Is’ Is A Black Narrative Gamechanger

Mallori Johnson as Anaia and Kara Young stars as Racine. (Photo credit: Patti Perret/Amazon MGM Studios)

Directed and written by:

Aleshea Harris

Starring:

Kara Young, Mallori Johnson,  Janelle Monáe, Erika Alexander, Mykelti Williamson, Josiah Cross, with Vivica A. Fox and Sterling K. Brown.

Synopsis (Amazon MGM Studios):

In Is God Is, two sisters embark on an epic quest for revenge, confronting a charged 
 family  history that will push them to extraordinary lengths. The film is Aleshea Harris’ directorial debut and is based on Harris’ adaptation of her award-winning play of the same name.

Monique’s review:

I think Is God Is is the kind of film that leaves a lasting impact on anyone who watches it. For me, it marks a new chapter in how Blackness is shown on screen and how Black culture is explored and celebrated in mainstream media.

I really responded to how so many aspects of Black culture—the well-known aspects and the tacit, hidden parts only known to Black people—are given room to breathe and be. The twins’ characterizations are two great examples of multifaceted Blackness. Racine (Kara Young) is often forced to be the “strong” one, invoking the stress and strain the “Strong Black Woman” trope causes on Black women. As a result, Racine often lashes out verbally at her sister, Anaia (Mallori Johnson), calling her “weak.” Anaia isn’t weak; instead, she’s emotionally sensitive. Anaia’s personality lends itself to investigating how Black women often aren’t allowed to be emotionally sensitive—or even weak—because of the lack of patience American society has for Black people’s emotional inner worlds.

The film’s cast makes the story even stronger. Legends like Vivica A. Fox and Erika Alexander really get a chance to shine, which makes me happy as a fan who wants to see them recognized. Janelle Monáe also stands out with her complex role as a woman who has survived abuse but directs her anger at other Black women. Mykelti Williamson is a great surprise, delivering a powerful performance without saying a single word.

Another standout is Sterling K. Brown, who plays Racine and Anaia’s abusive father. This isn’t really a spoiler, but I won’t give away just how intense and menacing his performance is. If you know him as the lovable character from This Is Us, you’ll be surprised by how different he is in this role.

Overall, I think Is God Is will inspire a lot of conversations and articles about its take on trauma, family secrets, and the challenges Black women face. The film really hit home for me because I see a lot of myself in Anaia. Strangely, I also saw parts of my late grandfather—someone I never met—in Brown’s performance.

I think my grandfather is one of those family members that many Black families keep secret—someone who did harm, but we don’t talk about it openly because we want to keep our business private. Still, it’s important to bring these stories to light so the harm doesn’t continue, even after they’re gone. Family secrets need to be faced so healing can happen. Even though Is God Is is intense, it captures the real emotions behind the difficult process of healing from the past.