(L to R) Mallori Johnson and Kara Young star in ‘Is God Is’.
Opening in theaters on May 15th is the new movie ‘Is God Is’, which was written and directed by Aleshea Harris and based on her play of the same name.
“Make your daddy dead. Real dead.”
Release Date: May 15, 2026
Run Time: 1 hr 39 min
The film stars Kara Young (‘Master’), Mallori Johnson (‘WeCrashed’), Vivica A. Fox (‘Kill Bill: Volume 1’), Erika Alexander (‘Get Out’), Mykelti Williamson (‘Heat’), Janelle Monáe (‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’), and Sterling K. Brown (‘Paradise’).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Mallori Johnson and Kara Young about their work on ‘Is God Is’, their first reactions to the screenplay, why their characters rely on each other, and how the makeup process helped inform Johnson’s performance.
Related Article: TV Review: ‘Paradise’
(L to R) Kara Young stars as Racine and Mallori Johnson as Anaia in ‘Is God Is’, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Patti Perret. © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Moviefone: To begin with, Kara, can you talk about your first reaction to Aleshea Harris’ screenplay and what excited you about exploring this character on screen?
Kara Young: So, I’ve known about ‘Is God Is’ for some time. I had the privilege and honor of seeing it at Soho Rep in 2018 as an audience member. I remember exactly where I was in the back of that small 99-seat house theater and being completely blown away. These characters have stayed in my heart and my orbit ever since then. Then fast-forward to reading the screenplay and it was as if the world had opened. I’ve read ‘Is God Is’ in play form, and your imagination is activated by reading a play because you’re seeing where the world is going, but for the stage. Then when you’re reading a screenplay with Aleshea Harris adapting it, she’s giving you so many details about the actual visual visceral experience on that page. You’ll hear many people say this, “It was the best script I’ve ever read.” It’s literally the best screenplay you’ve ever read because it took you there immediately. I was immediately drawn to both women. I guess, my point is that I’ve been drawn to them since the very beginning when I watched this play in the flesh.
(L to R) Kara Young stars as Racine and Mallori Johnson as Anaia in ‘Is God Is’, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Patti Perret. © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
MF: Mallori, can you talk about how Rancine and Anaia really rely on each other, and what it was like creating that sisterly relationship on screen with Kara?
Mallori Johnson: I mean, it was super wonderful because Kara is an incredible actress and a great friend to me in real life. Creating that bond with her was not difficult at all. I think that we have said this over and over, but I’ll keep saying it because it’s true. I really have formed a true connection with Kara that is real, like a real sisterhood. I really see her as a sister. I think that because we were living together and we were spending so much time together and working with each other all the time, it just seeped into the work. Our real love for each other seeped into the work. It was not difficult at all to have created a true connection with her that felt real.
(L to R) Kara Young stars as Racine and Mallori Johnson as Anaia in ‘Is God Is’, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Patti Perret. © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
MF: Finally, Mallori, can you talk about the makeup process and how that helped inform your performance?
Mallori Johnson: I mean, you still must do the text work and you must show up and honor the words that you’re saying. But I think my experience working with prosthetics was amazing because I have never had that much time in the chair prior to stepping on set. I think seeing yourself have a physical transformation as opposed to an internal one as an actor is like a dream. I mean, most of the time our imaginations must do the work for us. This time it was like a culmination of imagination plus actually seeing transformation in the mirror. So that was wonderful. It added to being able to drop into Anaia before I stepped on set. That’s for sure.
(L to R) Mallori Johnson stars as Anaia and Kara Young as Racine in ‘Is God Is’, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
What is the plot of ‘Is God Is’?
Twin sisters (Mallori Johnson and Kara Young) with disfiguring burn scars are ordered by their bedridden mother (Vivica A. Fox) to kill their abusive father (Sterling K. Brown) who caused their scars. They must decide whether to seek vengeance or find mercy.
Who is in the cast of ‘Is God Is’?
- Kara Young as Racine the Rough One
- Mallori Johnson as Anaia the Quiet One
- Sterling K. Brown as the Monster
- Vivica A. Fox as Ruby the God
- Janelle Monáe as the New Wife
- Erika Alexander as Divine The Healer
- Mykelti Williamson as Chuck Hall the Lawyer
- Josiah Cross as Ezekiel
‘Is God Is’ opens in theaters on May 15th.
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