Kara Young and Mallori Johnson in Aleshea Harris's IS GOD IS

Reviews are in for Is God Is, Aleshea Harris’s new film adaptation of her play starring two-time Tony-winner Kara Young and Mallori Johnson. The plot follows twin sisters Anaia (Johnson) and Racine (Young) on a revenge journey as they attempt to track down their father to make him pay for the sins he committed against his family.

Find out what critics think of the film in our review roundup below. Is God Is also stars Vivica A. Fox, Janelle Monáe, Erika Alexander, Mykelti Williamson, Josiah Cross, and Sterling K. Brown. The movie is produced by Tessa Thompson, Kishori Rajan, p.g.a., Riva Marker, p.g.a., Janicza Bravo, and Aleshea Harris. Executive Producers are Stacy O’Neil, Nicole King, and Kenneth Yu.

Harris’ play premiered at Soho Rep in 2018, earning three Obie awards, including Best Play and Best Director. She wrote and directed the new film, which marks her feature directorial debut. The movie, produced by Amazon, MGM, and Orion Pictures, will be released in theaters on Friday, May 15.

Lisa Kennedy, The New York Times: “Early in the movie, Racine wears a T-shirt with the words “Listen to Hear” emblazoned on it. That koan-like phrase becomes a splinter of poetry to keep mulling. “Is God Is” asks us to pay heed — in ways subtle and bold — to its comedy and anguish. It demands, without seeming to, that we watch to see, really see.”

Jourdain Searles, The Hollywood Reporter: “It’s a shame, then, that the film around these impressive actors is visually flat. The South we see in Is God Is is a desolate, underpopulated landscape — too neat and quiet for a story that should feel larger. All the words sound right and everyone is in place, but Is God Is feels like a film just short of greatness.”

Guy Lodge, Variety: “Her voice, in other words, calls to mind a lot of things, but it’s still very much her own: brutally incensed and funny and sometimes absurd, with a precise interest in the complex class politics of contemporary Black America. And though Harris didn’t direct her play onstage, she steers the screen version with aplomb.”

Andrew Lawrence, The Guardian: “Is God Is may borrow from an old narrative formula, but it reframes it into something sharper and more searching. It shows that stories rooted in Black trauma don’t have to be pulled down by it. Vibrancy and texture are what give a killing spree its stakes, after all, and this one ends with an understated affirmation of the human spirit.”

Alison Foreman, IndieWire: “In lesser hands, that tonal balancing act could feel glib or exploitative. But remarkably, Harris pulls it off completely — transforming her impossibly hard-to-take premise into the foundation of a rhythmic fantasyland that’s heightened by aesthetic choices functioning more as emotional instruments than maximalist distractions.”

William Bibbiani, TheWrap: “Watching “Is God Is” is like getting invited to a party that’s way above your social pay grade. I’m not sure I’m cool enough to deserve a film like “Is God Is.” I’m probably not, but at least I can watch in awe as Aleshea Harris pushes the form and function of cinema to the limit. If we’re lucky this is the start of a very exciting career, but “Is God Is” is exciting enough to endure on its own.”

Witney Seibold, SlashFilm: “”Is God Is” is an amazing piece of work. One of those “bolt from the blue” movies that is coming from a new artist with a new voice that audiences and critics alike will look forward to hearing again. This is Harris’ first feature film, and I am eager to see more.”

Kristy Puchko, Mashable: “As days have gone by, my mind floats back to this film and its twins. Their story feels contemporary and yet timeless. I yearn to see Is God Is again, hungering for what the thrill of its story, the sumptuousness of Harris’ visual storytelling, and the acting ensemble who feasts in every frame.”

Monica Castillo, The A.V. Club: “Young and Johnson drive home Harris’ emotional story with a potent chemistry both tender and volatile. They’re brilliantly paired as twins who are so closely connected that they know when the other is in trouble, but are so unique in personality that they are their own separate entities.”