Is God Is: A Revenge Tale Interrogating Misogyny

Twin sisters Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) bear burn scars from a childhood attack by their estranged father (Sterling K. Brown) on their mother (Vivica A. Fox). Their mother, called “God,” summons them to kill their father and his allies. The film follows the sisters on a road-trip revenge mission that mixes kinetic action with dark humor, framing their quest as both personal retribution and a symbolic rite.

Salon

The feature adapts Alesha Harris’s 2018 stage play of the same name. Harris threads biblical motifs—Jacob and Esau’s rivalry, the “eye for an eye” principle, and fire imagery—through the narrative, presenting the twins’ vengeance as a preordained, almost liturgical act. Reviewers note recurring references to dust, ash, and scripture that link the sisters’ burn injuries to ancient moral tales.

Salon

Alesha Harris writes and directs the film, marking her feature debut. The principal cast includes Kara Young, Mallori Johnson, Sterling K. Brown, Vivica A. Fox, Janelle Monáe, and Erika Alexander. Amazon MGM Studios produced the project.

NPR

NPR calls the movie “a vivid, scathing revenge tale” that interrogates misogyny through kinetic storytelling. Salon praises its thematic depth, describing the “excessive style” as balanced by a “story-driven” core, while also noting the film avoids gratuitous gore in favor of “straightforward and uncomplicated” visuals. Some critics caution that the mash-up of road-movie, spaghetti western and Tarantino-esque elements can feel typical of multiplex fare, yet they acknowledge the revenge narrative’s cohesion.

Salon

Source material lists the twins by character names (Racine and Anaia) and by the actors’ names (Kara Young, Mallori Johnson), creating potential confusion. The playwright’s name appears as “Alesha Harris” in one review and “Aleshea Harris” in another. No official studio statement on thematic intent or release specifics is provided.

Salon

• “The ensuing violence is both joyous and cruel, predictable in a way that doesn’t exactly feel conventional, but rather biblically preordained.” — Salon review

Salon

• “Ain’t you mad, twin?” — Racine (character, spoken by Kara Young)

Salon

• “If there’s one thing centuries of God-fearing living have taught us, it’s that the Bible is open to interpretation.” — Salon review

Salon

The film features Black female protagonists and frames their revenge as a spiritual rite, directly engaging misogyny and religious allegory. Its use of biblical symbolism alongside contemporary violence reflects the source’s observation that it wields religious subtext in a modern context, underscoring the relevance of scriptural motifs in discussions of gendered power and retribution.

Salon