Is God Is (dir. Aleshea Harris)
By: Adam Freed
The impenetrable bond of sisterhood exists as an invisible binding force second in power only to gravity. When that force is applied to twin sisters, its impact is exponential. For twin sisters Racine and Anaia, dual protagonists in Director Aleshea Harris’ incendiary revenge thriller Is God Is, their kinship is magnified by an unthinkable act of domestic violence perpetrated upon them as children. It is difficult to believe that Is God Is marks the directorial debut for Harris because the film, through its considerable wit and grit, has a remarkably polished presentation. Part of the successful equation behind the film is its propulsive pace, which beyond the early reveal of its revenge-based premise, marches forth with well defined intention. There is no mistaking however that the success of Is God Is, lives and breathes on the performances of Kara Young (I Love Boosters, We Strangers) and Mallori Johnson (Steal Away, The Other Zoey) who, as Racine and Anaia respectively, provide life to the central theme that Harris’ film hopes to convey.
Rarely does a team of makeup artists define the success of a film, but in the case of Is God Is, the burn scars worn by the twins play a defining role in the eventuality of who the characters become. As victims of an abusive father who attempted to murder their mother by arson, leaving both of their daughters scarred, Racine and Anaia have been physically and emotionally molded by the trauma that they have incurred. Their burn scars act, not only as a back story, but as their central motivation as well. Makeup department head Seekie Simon (The Drama, Deep Water) and her team of talented makeup artists should certainly wait at the ready when the Academy Award nominations are revealed early next year. While Oscar may not yet be ready for Aleshea Harris the director, her work as screenwriter of Is God Is, feels abundantly ready for the red carpet. Harris’ script is a meticulously crafted balance of propulsion and emotional range. Despite their matching DNA, Racine and Anaia are distinctly different people, their spoken (and humorously unspoken) dialogue is an ornate tapestry that both highlights their connection and the individualized traits that give each character their own voices.
As sympathetic and magnetic as the dual protagonists in Harris’ film happen to be, their antagonist, a long absent father, obscured mostly by memories literally engulfed in flames, is manifested devilishly by Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction, Waves). Brown, a traditionally lovable actor of immense talent, here unearths a form of male manipulation and rage that leaps from the screen. Harris wisely controls audience exposure to Racine and Anaia’s tormentor with tight shots of partial body parts, an artistic choice that makes interacting with Brown’s character feel like unearthing only a partial memory. Once Sterling K. Brown is unleashed on Is God Is in full, his impact is skin crawling and undeniable. Debut feature films don’t come much better than Is God Is, and Aleshea Harris has convincingly propelled herself into the conversation of writers and directors with whom studios should be craving collaboration.
Target Score 8.5/10 - Writer and director Aleshea Harris has officially arrived. Her propulsive and inviting revenge thriller Is God Is maximizes the gifts of co-stars Kara Young and Mallori Johnson, resulting in one of the most entertaining and memorable theatrical experiences in the first half of 2026.