‘Is God Is’ unleashes unapologetic female rage

Kara Young (left) and Mallori Johnson in a scene from “Is God Is” (Amazon MGM Studios) [AP Photo]

Playwright Aleshea Harris says something was missing when she first wrote “Is God Is,” her fierce revenge tale blending Greek tragedy, mythology, spaghetti westerns and a splash of Quentin Tarantino. The answer, she realized, was sisters — twin sisters.

That decision powers both the acclaimed 2018 off-Broadway play and Harris’ film adaptation, which she also directed. The result is a strange, stylish and often gripping exploration of trauma, revenge and female rage.

The twins, Racine and Anaia, are unforgettable. Racine, played by Kara Young, is expressive, volatile and darkly funny. Anaia, portrayed by Mallori Johnson, is quieter and more restrained. At 21, they share almost everything: clothes, thoughts, blond braids and a tiny living space. Sometimes subtitles replace dialogue altogether, emphasizing the eerie intimacy between them.

Most painfully, they share scars from a childhood fire set by their father, known only as “Man,” who tried to murder their mother. Racine’s burns scar her arm and back; Anaia’s disfigure her face, shaping how the world reacts to her.

The story begins when the sisters receive a shocking letter from the mother they believed dead. “We got a mama?” they exclaim. Their mother — referred to as “God” — is played with tragic grandeur by Vivica A. Fox. Burned and dying in the American South, she summons her daughters for one purpose: revenge.

The sisters set off in a battered Oldsmobile, though Anaia is reluctant about the mission while Racine embraces it. Along the way they encounter grotesque, almost mythical figures connected to Man: a cultlike preacher and a lawyer literally robbed of his tongue.

One haunting question lingers throughout their journey: “Do you ever want to scrape off those scars and see what’s underneath?”

Eventually they arrive at the comfortable suburban home where Man lives with his wife Angie, played by Janelle Monáe in a brief but memorable turn, and his twin sons. The symmetry is deliberate; Harris layers doubles and mirrored identities throughout the film.

Then Man himself appears, played by Sterling K. Brown in perhaps his most chilling role yet. Brown turns calmness into menace, delivering horrifying ideas about violence and male entitlement with terrifying composure.

The film ultimately circles back to its central theme: rage. Harris argues that anger is not reserved for men, nor should women — especially Black women — be expected to apologize for it. The twins’ fury is destructive, messy and tragic, but the film refuses to sanitize or excuse away their emotions.

Like any Greek tragedy, “Is God Is” moves toward inevitable bloodshed. Add Tarantino-inspired brutality and dark humor, and the destination is clear long before the credits roll.

Still, Harris’ story is less interested in revenge mechanics than in what pain leaves behind. The scars never disappear. But maybe, the film suggests, understanding what lies beneath them matters more than erasing them. JOCELYN NOVECK, MDT/AP

“Is God Is,” an Amazon MGM Studios release, has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association “for strong/bloody violence and language.” Running time: 99 minutes. Three stars out of four.★★★★