What’s better than a roaring rampage of revenge? A roaring rampage of revenge with a two protagonists.
That’s what audiences can expect in “Is God Is.” The film is an adaptation of a play by the same name, penned by Aleshea Harris, who makes her feature film debut as the writer and director of the movie. The picture follows a pair of twins, Racine ( Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) who are on a mission.
As children, they were forced to witness their mother, Ruby, be burned in a murder attempt by their abusive father, known only as The Monster (Sterling K. Brown). They themselves were burned, too, and the Monster got off free in court. Because of her injuries, Ruby was unable to raise her kids, but now on her death bed, she asks her two daughters to get revenge.
Not only does Harris cross the lanes from stage to screen, it’s also her first time helming a motion picture. Could’ve fooled me. What she delivers is an exciting, stylish road adventure movie brimming with personality and driven by a strong emotional core. It’s a very impressive debut.
A Southern Gothic picture, the movie is infused with the history, vibe and people of its location, nicely capturing the region below the Mason-Dixon line. Harris did so by touching on issues like religion and family through an African American lens, and capturing the righteous anger of Black women,
The film also benefitted from the director of photography on Harris’ film, Alexander Dynan. Previously, he was the cinematographer on “First Reformed” and “The Card Counter,” both of which made my Top 10 lists in their respective years. Dynan is really good at capturing the emotions of the characters, while giving life to everything on screen around them, and that’s true here.
The heat of the South, the anger of both women, their nature as twins, and Harris’ overall vision, is nicely put to screen. That’s also true with the editing, with the picture getting rather creative in showing the bond between the protagonists, producing moments of comedy and making scenes of violence intense.
Of course, the stars of the flick contribute a lot here, too. Their dynamic, with Racine more aggressive and blunter, and Anaia timid and reserved, works well, but these characters aren’t limited to those lanes. Racine has her moments of vulnerability while Anaia is bold at times. The two make for a good, complex duo and their sibling banter is great.
There’s also a great recurring bit where the two women can basically know what the other is thinking without saying it. This is introduced with subtitles while the two are brushing teeth early on and it returns a few times, making for some enjoyable moments. Their sequences of humor, stress, disagreements and overall sisterhood are also very authentic and honest.
The supporting group of characters are really nice additions, too, even those who just have one or two scenes. Everyone has a memorable identity, and no acting talent is wasted. There’s a fantastic level of charisma coming off the screen. Plenty of credit has to go to Brown, too, who makes for a great villain.
Unfortunately, the film’s latter half isn’t as good as its first. It starts off with so much urgency but the picture loses a bit of steam as it goes on. Not that it gets bad, by any means, just not as moving as it was earlier. One also wishes the film could have struck the landing better when it came to the ending. What happens is respectable, but how it was executed left a bit to be desired.
Still, “Is God Is” works on multiple levels. It’s funny, entertaining, and emotional, with all of that delivered with some flair. While some parts are better than others, notably the first two acts, it’s a satisfying cinematic experience overall and certainly worth a watch. 4 out of 5.
Courtesy Orion Pictures and Amazon MGM Studios
