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“Is God Is” Film Details
- Director(s): Aleshea Harris
- Writer(s): Aleshea Harris
- Runtime: 1 Hour(s) and 39 Minutes
- Public Release Date (In Theaters): May 15, 2026
- Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Young Adult
- Content Rating: Rated R
- Primary Language: English
- Images © of / Courtesy Of Amazon MGM Studios
Movie Summary
Racine and Anaia were living their life out in New Jersey, trying to have some form of normalcy, despite their scars from being burnt alive by their father. However, a letter from their assumed-dead mom, Ruby, changes things. She calls them to her bedside, reveals to them what happened, and sends them on a quest to get revenge on her behalf against their father.
Now, the man has had multiple lives since Racine and Anaia were children, so he won’t be easy to find, and like getting to their momma, they will have to traverse America to get to him. But, with Racine being her daddy’s daughter, with a stream of rage in her heart, she pushes the quieter Anaia to be her companion on this quest, her witness, and if it calls for it, her protector.
Cast and Characters
Racine (Kara Young)
- Character Summary: Racine is the older twin, who likes to believe she is less emotional despite the fact that she is very reactive – especially when given the chance to confront someone, with violence being on the table.
Anaia (Mallori Johnson)
- Character Summary: Sensitive and more noticeably burned than Racine, Anaia is a bit more to herself, pensive even, than her sister. Which makes it so she often gets on Racine’s nerves, even if she loves her deeply.
Ruby (Vivica A. Fox)
- Character Summary: Ruby is Racine and Anaia’s mom, who is burned from head to toe, and when we meet her, we’re told she is dying.
Father “Man” (Sterling K. Brown)
- Character Summary: The unnamed character, the father of five, and a menace to many a woman, is a dark character. Old school in many ways, as his charm matches his anger, and there is unquestionably a shortage in his switch.
Angie (Janelle Monáe)
- Character Summary: Angie is the current wife of “Man,” and mother to his twin boys. She is a bit more well-to-do than his exes, and she takes pride in that. You could even say, compared to Ruby and Divine, she is bougie.
Divine (Erika Alexander)
- Character Summary: Spiritual, but misguided, Divine is a little off her rocker, but has a notable following with her church. She is also the only person who seemingly would still be with “Man,” despite the different sides to him.
Review and Commentary
Highlight(s)
Sterling K. Brown [87/100]
What Sterling K. Brown delivers here is a means of understanding why abusers get away with what they do, and that draw they can have. Yes, he is a menace! However, when he is nice, he is charming, you enjoy his touch, and his attention. Anaia experiences this in the movie as “Man,” as he is credited as, is sweet on her. He comes off like the daddy she always needed, maybe secretly wanted.
But then you see that shift and the same man who could comfort her, make her feel seen, loved, maybe even pretty, is the same one who disfigured her in the first place. It’s a wild thing to watch, especially because you get as seduced as Ruby and the other women in the life of “Man.” I’d even go as far as to say that Brown’s performance is worthy of being put on a pedestal regarding what it is like to be with an abusive partner who knows how to put on a front, but is the epitome of a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde duality.
On The Fence
It Feels Rushed [78/100]
Admittedly, we’re one of the first people to note a movie felt too long, but in the case of Is God Is, it feels rushed in such a way that will make you wish this were a mini-series. From meeting Ruby, to the people “Man” left behind or are in his life currently, the pacing of this film is quick.
The positive of that is, Is God Is operates on actions are more trustworthy than words – especially in terms of consistency. However, on the flip side, Harris’ writing makes it so you want to sit with these characters longer, get to know them, and it can feel like you don’t get to beyond the surface. That their existence is rooted in how they can push along the story or reignite the twins’ purpose.
For example, the two women “Man” was with after Ruby, Angie, and Divine? They are in and out of this film so quickly that it makes them being played by Janelle Monae and Erika Alexander frustrating. For you want to know what drew Divine to “Man?” Did she experience his dark nature like the other two women? Then, with Angie, did she come from money, or does “Man” have a lucrative job?
Because, even when it comes to “Man,” who is built up throughout the film, you may hear people’s stories about him, but the person is pretty much a mystery. Who is his people, beyond these women he got pregnant and the kids he left behind? What does he do, beyond seduce and torture?
At times, it can feel like his temperament or issues are genetic, considering how the majority of his kids act. So when it comes to his kid with Divine, when it comes to his boys with Angie, maybe even his girls, you can see the film creatively use ways to try to get to know and understand him, just not directly. But, this doesn’t take away from the desire for a direct connection, rather than vicariously.
The Twins Can Sometimes Feel Like A Vehicle For Building Up Their Father [75/100]
While we enjoy Kaya Young as a performer and have even seen her live multiple times (and hope to this summer), I must admit that Sterling K. Brown’s character and performance make her and Mallori Johnson feel like supporting characters. Yes, we spend the overwhelming majority of the film with them, but with how much “Man” is built up and how even the twins’ personalities feel like a means to reflect who he is, and who he isn’t, they don’t stand out as much as you’d expect or want.
And note, Racine is hilarious, wonderfully violent, especially in the later third of the movie, but as you come to realize she is her daddy’s child, just like his son’s, it all brings you back to “Man” and with everything feeling in service of his existence.
I would even say, as much as I enjoy seeing women like Racine and Anaia represented on screen, for it feels rare to see around the way or urban women in scripted formats, still, Is God Is does force you to think about the limitations of such characters, especially when their humanity is based on rejection, pain, and anger.
Overall
Our Rating (80/100): Positive (Worth Seeing)
Is God Is does make for a wonderful, road-trip to revenge type movie. It’s well cast, to the point of wanting more, and the writing and performances, especially Sterling K. Brown, are wonderful. However, the pacing and how much everything feels built around the characters of “Man” does present the feeling that there is a hierarchical system; if not, simply put, it’s all about building up to “Man” appearing and him living up to what everyone says he is like. Thus making even our lead twins feel secondary, if not forgettable at times, since, like everyone else, they come off as in service to making “Man” earn his hype.
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