Director: Aleshea Harris
Writer: Aleshea Harris
Stars: Kara Young, Mallori Davis, Sterling K. Brown
Synopsis: Two sisters embark on an epic quest for revenge; confronting a charged family history that will push them to extraordinary lengths.
I am not going to sit here and tell you Aleshea Harris’ Is God Is is a perfect film. The film has a lot on its mind thematically, emotionally, and visually. But I will tell you one thing for sure: nothing about this film is boring or uninteresting. In fact, it is never anything other than completely captivating.
Everything Harris tries doesn’t work, but she delivers it with such energy and verve, it almost doesn’t matter. What that occurs on screen is awesome to watch, which gives the audience plenty of rope to forgive some of Harris’ shortcomings as a new director. Filled to the brim with lush, complex characters, an atmosphere of mystery, and an ensemble of exceptionally cast and performed roles, Harris proves herself to be one of the most exciting young directorial voices to emerge.
Based on Harris’ own play, Kara Young and Mallori Johnson star as twin sisters Racine and Anaia. Both sisters have significant burn scars, causing sideways stares from strangers, which draw Racine’s ire. Able to communicate telepathically, the twins receive word from their dying mother Ruby (Vivica A. Fox), also named God, to meet with her before her death. God instructs the girls to find and kill their father (Sterling K. Brown), who was the cause of the group’s burns.
Racine becomes embattled by her task, ready to find her father and exact revenge, while Anaia questions her mother’s charge as well as her sister’s potential as a murderer. The twins seek out preacher Divine (Erika Alexander), another of their father’s wives, tongue-less lawyer Chuck (Mykelti Williamson), and their father’s new wife (Janelle Monae). The twins will find out about themselves and their family as they get closer to their goal from God.
Yes, there are some of the shortcomings you can expect with a first-time filmmaker. Despite the film having a propulsive rhythm, the narrative takes a number of tonal detours that break the flow. On top of that, the character’s shifting motivations might add to their complexity, but it also muddies their characterization. When the film begins to wind down, you are sitting there enjoying what you are watching, but you don’t see much conclusion on the horizon. When the ending gets there, it’s so abrupt, you feel like a rug has been pulled. It’s not wrong, it’s just abrasive. That being said, the film doesn’t attempt to shy away from the more seedy elements.
Luckily, those are mostly small problems. Young and Johnson are dynamic performers with such a clear understanding of the characters, you just want to live in their atmosphere for that much longer. Racine and Anaia are opposite personalities, but live in that world of familial comfort. They know each other’s moves and sensibilities, but have different views in approaching life. Their differences inevitably lead to conflict, but their history and love for each other bring them back together.
Young, in particular, excels in anger. Fiercely protective of her sister and the world’s view of her scars, her first instinct is to lash out in response to adversity. Young is able to project this justifiable anger without entering into being a psychopath. Johnson goes in the opposite direction, turning everything she feels inward. Her sensitivity feels out of place in such a world of violence and chaos, but her goodness (and some would say naivety) is a welcome breath of optimism, even when the world doesn’t need it. The pair are beyond exceptional in their very different roles.
For his part, Brown is mostly seen below the nose, only revealing his full face in the last 20 minutes of the film. His inherent likeability and on-screen persona leads the audience into a false sense of security, but he is an exceptional foil to the girl’s quest. Fox, covered in layers of scar prosthetics, commands her limited scenes with gravity and purpose. Monae, Alexander, and Williamson all have their own standouts in separate vignettes, but they all do fantastic work. The entire ensemble is stellar.
It might not be perfect, but Is God Is entertains with a dynamite cast, and a pair of exceptional performances from Kara Young and Mallori Johnson. Aleshea Harris will be a director to keep an eye on for years to come.
