Is God Is Captures Powerful Statement on Relationships and Revenge

Black women are disrespected, devalued and demeaned by a good portion of society, but nothing is worse than a Black woman  scorned. We will do just about anything to reclaim the power attached to self-esteem and self-respect, but how far does that rage extend to ourselves, loved ones and those in the wake of our path?

Based on the adaptation of her award-winning play of the same name, Aleshea Harris embarks upon an epic quest for revenge by confronting a charged family history pushing two sisters to extraordinary lengths.  More importantly, Is God Is begs the more important question for all of us to ponder:  Should one seek revenge to control the scars of our narrative?

21-year-old African-American twin sisters Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) were burned as children in a heinous act of domestic violence enacted by their father (Sterling K. Brown). Racine’s  scars wind along on her arms, back, and neck, while Anaia carries the nightmare of that terror as a veil across her entire face, her arms and neck. Living in a railroad-car sized apartment, they’ve carefully created a place of love and joy for themselves away from the outside world’s stares and judgement. However, that sanctuary is tainted after receiving a letter from their mother, whom they acknowledge as “God.”  She has summoned the twins to honor her final wish, to go forth, find and kill their father in revenge. “Make your Daddy dead. Real dead,” she commands.

The fight scenes in this film are no joke and effortlessly embodied by our two leading ladies Johnson and Young.  This film doesn’t work without their bond and chemistry, which is on display with every movement, word and frame. Vivica A. Fox, Erika Alexander and Janelle Monae complete a constellation of women who have pivoted due to the varying degrees of cruelty they individually suffer at the hands of Man (Brown).  Divine (Alexander), the healer who can’t fix her own hurt and turns to religion to fill the void – all the while being a walking contradiction. Angie (Monae) is wife number three and at-her-wits-end until she sorts out a plan to free herself not realizing that her time may have run its course.  These women lived lives that could have broken them entirely, but they’ve put a lid on their rage until it brims to a full simmer – ripe  for retribution.

The men hold their own, starting with the lovable and always stellar award-winning actor Sterling K. Brown, pulling out a character audiences have not yet seen and will be terrified to experience in more ways than one. Seen only from his lips, feet or the back of his head for most of the film, when his face is finally revealed, the quiet rage in his eyes is chilling to the bone.  Mykelti WIlliamson has the most challenging and fascinating character task of all as Chuck Hall where his dialogue is mostly confined to a dry erase board.  It’s fascinating to watch and it takes an actor with an arsenal full of emotions to be able to effectively pull this off. Williamson does more than succeed at this task, he excels perfectly.

For each actor, through the words and ideals of Harris, they are able to experience and educate on the role of flipping expectations in relationships, no matter how volatile and twisted they may become.  What also fascinated me, is how Man never attempted (as far as we know) to damage or harm his twin boys.  On the contrary, he did everything he could to lift them up as Prince’s, yet teaching them how to treat women as objects and not humans even when it matters the most.

Which brings me to director, producer, writer Aleshea Harris, who has created a piece in which Black women are given permission to express their rage in a variety of temperatures.  These women are not waiting to be saved and are taking  reins to control the scars of their own narrative.  There is no compromising here. Audiences will experience female rage, but also witness the systemic fracturing of the Black household.   It’s either “I’m in charge” or “You’re In Charge,” and because of it there’s an interesting dynamic that can exist between Black women and men where they are learning how to walk in tandem. This dynamic is not something that comes easily or naturally and is explored in the most raw and real version cinematically possible.

It warmed my heart a thousand times over to know that not only was the cast predominantly Black women, directed by a Black woman, but the producing team (Tessa Thompson, Harris, Janicza Bravo, Riva Marker and Kashori Rajan) are ALL Black women thriving, surviving and supporting one another in an industry that rather watch us drop and fail.

Is God Is is a contemplative cinematic experience of Black through relationships, domestic violence and revenge at its core is  beautifully executed by woman who is hell bent on changing the narrative on how we are seen, devoured and ingested on film.