I walked into the preview for ‘Is God Is’ expecting a thriller; I left the theater in tears. The emotional rollercoaster was all too familiar, mirroring the complexities of my own relationship with my father and the echoes of broken homes I witnessed growing up.
The film, which serves as the directorial debut of Aleshea Harris and is based on her 2018 award-winning play, is a masterclass in stylized trauma. It follows twin sisters—Racine “the Rough One” (Kara Young) and Anaia “the Quiet One” (Mallori Johnson)—who bear disfiguring burn scars from a past they cannot escape. At the command of their bedridden mother, Ruby “the God” (Vivica A. Fox), they embark on an epic, bloody quest to kill the man responsible for their pain: their father, simply known as “the Monster” (Sterling K. Brown).
Set for theatrical release on May 15, 2026, by Orion Pictures, the film is as much a Greek tragedy as it is a modern thriller. The Source Magazine sat down in the studio with stars Kara Young and Mallori Johnson to peel back the layers of this dark masterpiece.
Diving Into the Dark
Given the heavy themes of child abuse and generational trauma, the first question was simple: how do you balance such a dark professional space when real life can often be just as heavy?
Kara Young: “I feel like knowing what was required of what Aleshea had trusted me to do… I fully immersed myself in the world, and wherever Racine had to go. Which, at times, is perhaps a place that is not as light and bright. But it is completely necessary for her journey. I love the fact that a Black woman gets to do that. Or that Black women get to do that.”
The film strikes a delicate balance between Racine’s aggression and Anaia’s passivity—a duality that Mallori Johnson says reflects the multifaceted nature of Black women.
Mallori Johnson: “Interestingly, we are both fire signs—she’s a Sagittarius and I’m a Leo. I wouldn’t describe myself as a passive person. I think that, you know, I am not afraid to stand up for myself. However, I am a naturally sensitive person. I am very permeable. Like, I think I have always, since I was a kid, felt things very, very deeply, and, like, you know, I’m easily touched.”
Finding the Character
Mallori’s connection to the script was immediate, finding a kindred spirit in Anaia’s vulnerability.
Mallori Johnson: “I definitely connected with that when I read the script. I saw who she was so clearly, so clearly, and I understood her pain, you know, I understood her sensitivity.”
For Kara, the authenticity of the performance was tied to her own upbringing and the environments that shaped her.
Kara Young: “I was born and raised in Harlem… I went to public school, actually, and I grew up on the West Side. But I went to public school in Spanish Harlem. It’s a thing, isn’t it? My mom worked at the hospital, too. It’s where I had my first job. Listen, I was making my little summer money! I never left. I know they trying to kick me out, but I never left.”
A Star-Studded Descent into Revenge
Produced by a powerhouse team including Tessa Thompson and Janicza Bravo, ‘Is God Is’ features a cast that delivers career-defining performances:
- Sterling K. Brown delivers a chilling turn as the father.
- Janelle Monáe appears as the “New Wife,” caught in the crossfire of a family’s reckoning.
- Erika Alexander brings a grounded energy as “Divine the Healer.”
- Vivica A. Fox commands the screen as the catalyst for the sisters’ journey.
As the sisters navigate their way toward their father, the film forces the audience to confront a harrowing question: Is it better to seek vengeance, or is it possible to find mercy in the wake of total destruction?
For those who have lived through the “broken home” dynamic, this film is a mirror. It is loud, it is violent, and it is heartbreakingly honest.
‘Is God Is’ hits theaters May 15, 2026.
Directed by: Aleshea Harris
Screenplay by: Aleshea Harris
Produced by: Tessa Thompson, Kishori Rajan, p.g.a., Riva Marker, p.g.a., Janicza Bravo, Aleshea Harris
Cast: Kara Young, Mallori Johnson, Janelle Monáe, Erika Alexander, Mykelti Williamson, with Vivica A. Fox and Sterling K. Brown