Rising stars Kara Young and Mallori Johnson are bringing fierce sisterhood and a range of emotional depth to the revenge thriller Is God Is, the film adaptation of playwright-director Aleshea Harris’ acclaimed stage production.
Young and Johnson are cast as twin sisters Racine and Anaia, two women scarred physically and psychologically after surviving a childhood fire set by their abusive father named simply and appropriately “The Monster”, played by Sterling K. Brown. After learning their mother, played by Vivica A. Fox, is still alive, the sisters are sent on a violent mission of revenge that forces them to confront trauma, rage, and family loyalty.
Young enters the film with an already celebrated acting résumé. The actress recently earned back-to-back Tony Awards for her acclaimed stage performances and has also appeared in projects including Master, The Staircase, and I’m a Virgo. Critics have praised her fiery portrayal of Racine, the more aggressive and protective of the twins.
Johnson, meanwhile, gained widespread attention for her breakout role in Hulu’s Kindred and has continued building momentum with emotionally grounded performances onscreen. In Is God Is, she plays Anaia, the quieter and more introspective twin whose emotional scars run just as deep as her physical ones.
The chemistry between the two actresses has become one of the film’s biggest strengths. BOSSIP spoke exclusively with both women about their preparation process.
Says Kara Young:
A lot of preparation goes into it and also a knowing of what your instrument can do and where it can go. And also a lot of building the history of your character. The fortunate part was that we got to build a lot of our history together with Aleshea and that was incredibly special.
When asked about the significance of fire and the role it plays in the film, Mallori Johnson replied:
“Oh my God, it’s everything. It really is the core symbolism that I think Aleshea is trying to get across of how…how…Black women, I’m gonna say Black women’s rage burns and embers and is tampered out and stomped out but also raised again…”
The film arrives in theaters today, May 15.
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