is finally here — and after watching it, one thing is clear: we might have a banger on our hands.
Written and directed by Obie Award-winning playwright Aleshea Harris, the film adaptation of her acclaimed 2018 stage play blends revenge thriller, dark comedy, and Southern Gothic mythology into something that feels unapologetically stylized and culturally rooted.
At the center of the story are twin sisters Racine and Anaia, played by Kara Young (I’m a Virgo) and Mallori Johnson (Kindred). As children, the sisters were severely burned in a fire that left them permanently scarred — Racine bearing scars across her torso and hands, Anaia marked across her face. They believed the fire took their mother’s life.
It didn’t.
When the twins learn their mother — known only as “She” or “God” — is still alive, they are summoned to her bedside. In a haunting scene teased in the trailer, she reveals that their father was responsible for the fire that disfigured them and left her bedridden. Her final request: find him.
From there, the sisters embark on a revenge-fueled journey that takes them from the Northeast to the California desert. Along the way, they encounter the people orbiting their father’s life — including his former wife, a pastor played by Erika Alexander, his lawyer portrayed by Mykelti Williamson, and his new wife, played by Janelle Monáe. Ultimately, their path leads them face-to-face with their father, played by Oscar nominee Sterling K. Brown.
The supporting cast also includes Vivica A. Fox, who appears in the pivotal role of the twins’ mother.
The Aesthetic Is Doing the Work
Beyond the premise, the trailer’s aesthetic is striking. The hair, the jewelry, the nails, the church scenes, the stark desert landscapes — everything feels intentional. It’s stylized but grounded. There’s something about a film that is culturally specific and visually confident that immediately pulls you in.
And then there’s the music choice. Beyoncé’s “Ya Ya” underscores the tension and swagger of the trailer in a way that amplifies the tone without overpowering it. From the first beat, you can feel what kind of journey the twins are about to take.
From Stage to Screen
Is God Is premiered Off-Broadway at Soho Rep in 2018 and won three Obie Awards, including playwriting honors for Harris. The script previously won the American Playwriting Foundation’s Relentless Award, created in honor of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, helping cement Harris as a distinctive voice in contemporary theater.
Now, she expands that vision for the screen — maintaining the story’s poetic dialogue and mythic tone while elevating its scale.
Is God Is opens in theaters May 15, 2026.
After watching the trailer, this is the kind of film that immediately goes on your watchlist. The casting alone makes it worth the trip, but the atmosphere and energy suggest something deeper — a revenge story layered with trauma, identity, and sisterhood.
Check out the trailer and let me know your thoughts.