Sterling K. Brown just took the darkest role of his career with and fans won’t see him the same way

Sterling K. Brown discusses why he decided to take on the darkest role of his career

(This article was originally pubbed on PopViewers)

There was a palpable energy inside NeueHouse Madison Square when PopViewers hosted a special Vibes & Views conversation with Emmy and Oscar nominee Sterling K. Brown and filmmaker Aleshea Harris ahead of the theatrical release of “Is God Is.”

The room was packed with tastemakers, journalists, and film lovers eager to unpack one of the year’s most daring cinematic experiences, a revenge thriller that blends dark comedy, trauma, sisterhood, fantasy, and violence into something completely original.

The film, which arrived in theaters May 15, has already generated major awards-season chatter and currently boasts a stunning 98% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Based on Harris’ acclaimed stage play of the same name, “Is God Is” follows sisters Racine and Anaia as they hunt down the father who set their mother on fire years earlier, permanently scarring the entire family in the process. What unfolds is far more than a straightforward revenge story. The film feels like a fever dream wrapped inside a western, horror film, and emotional family drama all at once.

Sterling K. Brown Takes a Wild Turn as “The Monster”

One of the biggest revelations of the night was hearing Brown discuss why he decided to take on perhaps the darkest role of his career.

For six seasons, audiences embraced him as Randall Pearson on “This Is Us,” the empathetic husband and father figure who became one of television’s most beloved characters. In “Is God Is,” Brown flips that image upside down, playing “The Monster,” a disturbingly calm and emotionally detached father capable of horrifying violence.

It’s the first true villain role of Brown’s career, and during the Vibes & Views conversation, he explained exactly why he said yes.

“I wanted to first and foremost support this brilliant and talented woman,” Brown said of Harris. “I wanted to give her every opportunity to make it successful. I felt like maybe my presence in it could be helpful in that way.”

But Brown also revealed that the film’s emotional and thematic complexity drew him in immediately.

“These women are messy and on a mission and we don’t get a chance to see Black people portrayed in this light,” he explained. “I enjoyed this whole landscape and we got to run the gamut.”

The role also gave Brown a rare opportunity to shatter audience expectations.

“Anytime people think they can try to put you into a box in terms of what you can do, you want to try to expand the box as much as possible,” Brown said. “I look at acting as controlled schizophrenia. I got a lot of people that live inside ya boy, and every once in a while I get to let out a different one.”

The performance is chilling in the best possible way. Brown’s portrayal of “The Monster” is quiet, restrained, and deeply unsettling. He’s proof that some of the scariest villains don’t need to scream to terrify you.

Aleshea Harris Makes a Stunning Feature Film Debut

While Brown may be the recognizable face audiences immediately gravitate toward, the true breakout star of “Is God Is” may be Harris herself.

Directing powerhouse performers, including Brown, Vivica A. Fox, Janelle Monáe, Erika Alexander, Kara Young, and Mallori Johnson, in your very first feature film is no small task. But Harris pulls it off with confidence, style, and a voice that feels entirely her own.

During the conversation, Harris revealed that Brown was always part of her vision for the film.

“The first time I saw Sterling, he was in a stage play,” Harris shared. “What I saw was an extraordinary actor. I don’t play about actors. So I knew that he could conjure this character perfectly.”

She also intentionally wanted audiences to experience Brown in a completely unexpected way.

“I also knew how he exists in the consciousness,” she explained. “I knew what people might expect based on the roles he’s played, and I wanted to be subversive.”

That creative risk pays off in a major way.

More Than Revenge — A Story About Agency, Trauma, and Sisterhood

At its core, “Is God Is” is about reclaiming power.

Brown noted that beneath the bloodshed and chaos is a story rooted deeply in empowerment.

“It’s a female empowerment film,” he said. “Where these women are taking action, and taking agency and saying, ‘You know what, we don’t have to sit back and just let this stuff happen to us — we can do something about it.’ That message was the thing that resounded with me most of all.”

That emotional core is what elevates “Is God Is” beyond a standard revenge thriller. Harris creates a visually striking world filled with pain, rage, humor, fantasy, and emotional intimacy. The bond between the sisters anchors the film even as the story spirals into increasingly surreal territory.

By the end of the Vibes & Views conversation, one thing was crystal clear: “Is God Is” isn’t simply a movie audiences will watch and forget. It’s the kind of film people will argue about, dissect, and carry with them long after the credits roll.