Is God Is [Blu-Ray]

Director: Aleshea Harris

Cast: Kara Young, Mallori Johnson, Janelle Monáe

Release Date: July 28, 2026

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Film Rating: 9/10
Disc Rating: 7/10

Synopsis:

The story follows Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson), twin sisters with disfiguring burns. The sisters’ world is upended when the mother (Vivica A. Fox) they believed long dead summons them to her bedside and reveals that their father (Sterling K. Brown) is responsible for her bedridden state as well as their scars. When she orders them to kill him for what he did, the sisters must decide whether to seek vengeance or find mercy.

Based on the stage play of the same name, ‘Is God Is’ tells the story of twin sisters Racine and Anaia who each suffer from disfiguring burns as a result of a horrifying incident during their childhood. But when their mother who they long believed had died in the same fire that scarred them reaches out it shakes up their lives. Deciding to visit with their now ailing mother, the sisters discover the horrifying truth of the incident and the dark nature of their father, but everything really takes a turn when they accept their mother’s plea to find their father and kill him to provide her with much desired vengeance after all these years, sending the women on a violent path that could change their lives forever.

Directed, written and produced by Aleshea Harris and based upon her stage play of the same, Harris does a tremendous job at the helm of ‘Is God Is’ which marks her film directorial debut, bringing the powerful story to life on the silver screen and guiding it along with style, beauty and heart. The film’s cast includes Kara Young (I Love Boosters), Mallori Johnson (TV’s Vladimir), Janelle Monáe (Glass Onion), Erika Alexander (American Fiction), Mykelti Williamson (The Last Rodeo), Josiah Cross (King Richard), Vivica A. Fox (Independence Day: Resurgence), and Sterling K. Brown (TV’s This Is Us), with nearly all offering notable and fully capable performances in each of their roles that help the tale to be as impactful and moving as it is.

‘Is God Is’ is a beautifully crafted, emotionally powerful and uniquely done film that offers something very different from the norm to deliver an unforgettable tale of sisterhood, connection, vengeance and much more. Perhaps most noteworthy is that the film is often shot to represent a stage play and the filming shots, angles and editing choices all help it to feel largely as if you’re watching a play on a screen; even showing rear-view shots of key moments that drop the lights for a gunshot boom only to return the lighting to show the aftermath, as well as characters narrating flashbacks that then shift to the character in the flashback looking out and describing the events and it’s really incredibly fascinating how capably it’s done and how well it brings you into the mindset of viewing a play as opposed to a film on multiple occurrences.

The story itself is something special as well and it’s filled with violence, brutality, heartbreak and a great deal of heart and hope on top of it all as we’re taken along on this journey of vengeance through the perspective of these sisters as one becomes increasingly invested in the bloodshed and violence while the other struggles more every step of the way. Aleshea Harris does a great job bringing her play to vivid life as a film and while I haven’t had the pleasure of the play itself, I can certainly say the film has no trouble pulling you in and taking you for a moving and at times unexpected journey that’s liable to stay with you after the credits roll.

Overall, ‘Is God Is’ delivers a unique, emotional and memorable film that’s not only moving but visually spectacular and often shot and crafted much like a stage play. Director Aleshea Harris does a marvelous job of bringing her play to the silver screen and it’s only consistently complemented throughout by a collection of notable performances that help it to reach its potential. ‘Is God Is’ is highly recommended and if you happen to have seen Harris’ stage play of the same on which it’s based, then odds are you might just appreciate it all the more, although as I haven’t had the pleasure of the play I of course can’t say for absolute certain. Either way, if you’re the slightest bit interested in this one already it’s absolutely worth your time and the price of a rental to give a chance.

VIDEO:

The Blu-ray release of ‘Is God Is’ features a full 1080p High Definition presentation with the film’s original 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio. The video presentation looks pretty wonderful as a whole and it offers a clean, sharp and brightly colored presentation from start to finish that never suffers from any glaring or unexpected issues along the way. Detail is solid on everything from characters to interiors and the various exterior settings and vehicle travel backgrounds on display, with bright, rich colors repeatedly shining and capably deep and rich black levels on top of it. Overall, this is a great High Definition presentation that holds up nicely at every turn and shouldn’t have any trouble pleasing newcomers or fans.

AUDIO:

The Blu-ray release features a 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. This multichannel soundtrack makes a nice complement to the tale and it provides a clean, sharp and often fairly immersive audio presentation throughout. It utilizes all five available channels somewhat regularly in order to send music, nature and action or fire related effects, plus more throughout the various speakers whenever fitting, while always making certain that any dialogue or other audio elements that may be occurring simultaneously remain clean and fully audible. Overall, this is a very nice 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack that sounds good throughout and shouldn’t elicit any complaints.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The Blu-ray release of ‘Is God Is’ does not include any bonus material.

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray and resized. They will additionally suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on this Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

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Film Rating: 9/10
Disc Rating: 7/10

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‘Is God Is’ is Now Available on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital from Amazon MGM Studios & Alliance Entertainment

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You can purchase ‘Is God Is’ on Blu-ray at Amazon HERE!

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