--- title: "Is God Is: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/is-god-is/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/is-god-is" critics_score: 76 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Is God Is (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 10 reviews: 8 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like it, and most of them like it for the same reasons. Eight of the ten reviews are positive, and the praise gathers around the two leads: Kara Young and Mallori Johnson play twin sisters, and nearly every review remarks on the charge between them, loving one moment and volatile the next. Harris’s direction is the other recurring point, credited with holding violence, humour and dream imagery together in a first feature without the film coming apart. Sterling K. Brown’s father draws steady notice as a chilling late antagonist. The reservations cluster around the images and the last stretch of plot. Several reviews find the climax by the book and some of the connective scenes slack. The New Yorker thinks the visual world never quite matches the force of the script, and The Hollywood Reporter goes further, calling the filmmaking flat and marking the film down sharply for it, the one plainly mixed verdict. Otherwise the spread is narrow, and the argument is about degree rather than direction. ## IndieWire — Alison Foreman Rating A-. 13 May 2026. Foreman praises the film as a confident, cathartic revenge story that refuses easy answers. She singles out the sisters’ volatile, loving performances and Harris’ skillful blend of ultraviolence, humor, and dreamlike visuals. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/is-god-is-film-review-1235193878/) ## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2026. Walsh finds the film a daring, highly stylish debut that announces Harris as a significant cinematic talent. She especially praises Kara Young’s fiery, entrancing performance, which commands attention. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-05-15/is-god-is-review-aleshea-harris-kara-young-mallori-johnson-sterling-k-brown) ## The Guardian — Andrew Lawrence Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 2026. The critic finds the revenge thriller sharp, vivid and ultimately affirming despite its familiar narrative formula. They especially praise Harris’s direction, which builds intimate chemistry between the twins and turns their father into a chilling final antagonist. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/may/14/is-god-is-review-movie) ## The AV Club — Monica Castillo Rating B. 14 May 2026. Castillo finds the film a potent, emotionally gripping revenge story, though some connective scenes and symbolic supporting characters weaken its momentum. She singles out the twins’ chemistry and Sterling K. Brown’s chilling performance for praise. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/is-god-is-review) ## Slant Magazine — Anzhe Zhang Rating 3/4. 11 May 2026. The critic finds the film an effective, meditative story about trauma despite a by-the-books climax. They praise its Southern Gothic atmosphere and the relationship between the twin sisters. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/is-god-is-review-aleshea-harris-vivica-a-fox-sterling-k-brown/) ## The New Yorker — Doreen St. Félix Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 June 2026. St. Félix finds the film powered by a bold, heretical vision, though its visual world does not fully match the script’s force. She praises its unsettling reworking of religious ideas and its attention to how perceived ugliness shapes desire, rage, and survival. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/critics-notebook/the-heretical-energy-of-is-god-is) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The review's verdict cannot be determined because the page only shows a browser verification message. Its specific praise or criticism is unavailable. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/is-god-is-film-review-2026) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Jourdain Searles Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 13 May 2026. Searles finds the film just short of greatness, with strong performances and a rich script undermined by visually flat filmmaking. They praise Sterling K. Brown’s sinister portrayal of masculinity run amok. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/is-god-is-review-vivica-a-fox-sterling-k-brown-1236595084/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 11 May 2026. The critic calls the film a stunning, exhilarating directorial debut. They single out Harris’s inventive direction and the leads’ rich, multidimensional performances for praise. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/is-god-is-review-aleshea-harris/) ## /Film — Witney Seibold Rating 9/10. 13 May 2026. The critic calls the film an amazing, stylish work of righteous fury and is eager to see more from its director. They single out Kara Young and Mallori Johnson’s compelling performances and intense chemistry. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/2171831/is-god-is-movie-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/is-god-is.md