Aleshea Harris feels ‘vindicated’ by the reception of ‘Is God Is’

In this exclusive interview with theGrio writer and director Aleshea Harris discusses the reception to “Is God Is.”

The thriller “Is God Is,” written and directed by Aleshea Harris, has been taking audiences by storm since it hit theaters last month. Critics have been praising it, writers have been eloquently thinkpiecing it. Many others have been debating it and its themes, genre, ratings, and beyond across social media. And if that weren’t enough, it has earned a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

The film’s creator, Harris, is, in a word, “vindicated” by the reception.

During an appearance at the 30th American Black Film Festival (ABFF) last week at the Miami Beach convention center, the playwright had a chance to catch up with theGrio about how she feels since her southern-gothic revenge tale has landed on the big screen. 

“I feel vindicated, I feel affirmed, I feel excited,” she said. 

Since the film, an adaptation of the play Harris penned in 2016, hit theaters, Harris said she has received an outpouring of love and support in a variety of ways, including messages, DMs, and voice notes from fans, family, and even old friends from high school have reached out, including her best friend.

“It’s been really tremendous and kind of surreal,” Harris continued. “I think I’m still processing what it means to have been given a megaphone, essentially for a story that I’ve held for so long. It’s been great. I couldn’t have asked for a better reception, honestly.”

The film, starring Kara Young, Mallory Johnson, Vivica Fox, Sterling K. Brown, Janelle Monáe, and Erika Alexander, chronicles twin sisters, Racine and Anaia, who have set out on a road trip through the American South to kill their abusive father, couldn’t have arrived at a more relevant time in culture. It has arrived on the heels of a difficult April, plagued by distressing headlines detailing an uptick in high-profile Black femicide cases and a growing collective of Black female rage at the patriarchy. 

When Harris thinks about the timing, one word comes to mind: “kismet.” 

“It feels like kismet. It feels like the mama universe, or God, whatever you want to call it, was like ‘This is the time, this is the moment,’” she continued. “It like met me, I met it, and I mean it feels like a blessing and a gift, and I’m hoping that there are conversations that come out of this moment, there’s healing and catharsis that comes out of this moment.” 

Harris was on hand during the festival to participate in the panel, “From Stage to Screen: Aleshea Harris on Directing Is God Is,” an intimate discussion with Harris and the journalist Shar Jossell about adapting her Obie Award-winning play into a star-studded feature film. The occasion marked her first time attending ABFF, and she spoke about what an honor it was to be celebrating her film with the festival for the first time during its big 30th anniversary. 

She noted, “The legacy of ABFF, and the strength of my folks, of my people, keeping it going for this many years, and understanding that we take the best care of ourselves, it feels like a boon to me to know this space. To be welcomed into this space really is tremendous.”