Playwright and director Aleshea Harris demonstrates what it means to authentically showcase Black women in media in Is God Is. The genre-bending Southern Gothic thriller, Is God Is, spotlights female rage in the new 2026 screen adaptation. The story was first performed in 2018 as an award-winning Off-Broadway play, centering Black female rage as the key emotion that drives the narrative.
According to Aleshea, Is God Is serves as a vehicle to channel the rage and sadness “that has everything to do with misogynoir.”
The revenge thriller has heavy themes of human suffering and “disrupts the cultural narrative,” Aleshea states. The screenplay—nearly a decade in the making—explores ideas focused on generational trauma and the disruptive cycle of vengeance.
The unforgiving display of rage celebrated in Is God Is acts as a response to the 2020 uprisings in reaction to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who was murdered by a Minnesota police officer.
In an interview with Alexandra Espinoza from The Wilma Theatre, Aleshea Harris urges that the play “has everything to do with being angry that Breonna Taylor [an unarmed Black woman who was killed while in her home in Louisville, Kentucky, by three police officers] isn’t on people’s minds the way she ought to be.” She goes on to say, “Even in death, Black women are erased…We should be centering Black people. Poor people matter. We should be considering the concerns and the nuances of their experiences.”
The two protagonists of the film embody the perspective of Black women that rarely get portrayed on-screen. Often, the stories that are told exclude Black women entirely from the production.
The twin sisters of Is God Is have contrasting attitudes when it comes to the vengeance of their mother. “Racine,” portrayed by Kara Young, has a bold and fully committed attitude. On the other hand, “Anaia,” played by Mallori Johnson, has a more ‘emotional’ soul that makes her uncertain if she is ready to seek revenge.
Is God Is is the second film out of Tessa Thompson’s production company, Viva Maude. It is the first film that Tessa does not star in. However, Tessa had a hand in producing the film along with producers Kishori Rajan, Janicza Bravo, and Riva Marker. Tessa and her producing partner, Kishori, both agree that the unique script was what drew them to the project.
In May, Tessa spoke with reporters about getting the opportunity to produce material from Aleshea, saying that the script was worthy of its stacked cast, including Vivica A. Fox, Sterling K. Brown, and Erica Alexander. “This script was so singular,” Tessa said at the world premiere of the film at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. According to Tessa, Janelle Monáe, who stars as “Angie” in the film, immediately signed on after reading the script. “‘If Shakespeare had a language, Aleshea Harris has a language, a tone,’” Janelle told Blavity News.
I think Is God Is is saying something really provocative, and unsafe to say in these times, which is what it means to embrace your rage.
The film is both raw and “weird,” which Janicza Bravo—one of the producers known for films such as Zola—encouraged Aleshea to embrace in rewriting the story for the screen adaptation of Is God Is. Aleshea said Janicza motivated her to embrace the key components of the film’s unique and quirky nature.
Janicza signed onto the film in 2018, interested in adapting the play with A24. Soon after, Janicza motivated Aleshea to direct her own story adaptation. “In terms of directing, I had not thought about it until Janicza Bravo said, ‘this is your story. You should direct it,’” Aleshea told Blavity News. “There was no kicking and screaming for me. It was immediate.”
Last month, The Grio reported that Aleshea participated in a “From Stage To Screen” panel hosted at the 30th American Black Film Festival, in which Harris expressed her gratitude for the suitable timing of the film’s release. Aleshea states, “…I’m hoping that there are conversations that come out of this…, [that] there’s healing and catharsis that comes out of this moment.” Aleshea continued, “It feels like kismet. It feels like the mama universe, or God was like, ‘This is the time, this is the moment.’”
The achievements of Aleshea Harris and the Is God Is team serve as a major inspiration for emerging Black filmmakers and artists such as myself. The ability to boldly translate intricate themes onto the screen has motivated my own commitment to elevating Black storytelling.
Is God Is is wholly unique in its genre-bending nature. The film skillfully balances dark comedy and Southern Gothic motifs. Having Black characters with complex moral landscapes appear in films that challenge traditional ethics is essential. Congratulations to Aleshea Harris for bringing to life the beautiful truth that Black women do not exist in a monolith. Thank you for giving us multifaceted and undeniable characters as representation.
© Brianna Savage (7/22/26) Special for FF2 Media ®
LEARN MORE/DO MORE
Watch Is God Is Official Trailer
Read Aleshea Harris’ conversation with The Wilma Theatre
Read Aleshea Harris support from Is God Is producers and cast
Learn more about Janelle Monae
CREDITS & PERMISSIONS
Featured Photo: Opening night party for Under the Radar 2020 at The Public Theater – Arrivals. Featuring: Aleshea Harris Where: New York, New York, United States When: 10 Jan 2020 Credit: Joseph Marzullo/WENN.com Alamy Image ID 2AWWYPR
Middle Photo: Is God Is (2026) directed by Aleshea Harris and starring Kara Young Mallori Johnson and Janelle Monáe. Twin sisters bearing disfiguring burn scars are ordered by their bedridden mother to hunt down and kill the abusive father who caused their injuries and must decide whether to pursue vengeance or find mercy as they confront their violent past. US one sheet poster EDITORIAL USE ONLY. Credit: BFA / Amazon MGM Studios Alamy Image ID 3DXRR09
Bottom Photo: NY. 27th Apr, 2026. Vivica A. Fox, Tessa Thompson, Kara Young, Janelle Monae, Aleshea Harris, Mallori Johnson, Erika Alexander at arrivals for IS GOD IS Premiere, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Rose Cinema, New York, NY, April 27, 2026. Credit: Quoin Pics/Everett Collection/Alamy Live News Alamy Image ID 3EBWNAB
