Is God Is is a rare film where every cast member shines so brightly in their role- embodying their character so completely that, the moment they enter the screen, the film becomes theirs. Each character is met by the audience at the peak, or antithesis, of their own convictions- right, wrong, or indifferent. It is inevitably understood that if their death were to happen- that not even a drip of life would remain never lived by them- for how convinced, how strong and how embodied each character is in their own self. Adapted from the play of the same name, the film leaves you asking: if this is what stage-to-screen adaptation can achieve, why aren’t we seeing more of it?
Is God Is deserves to be seen in a theater, on opening night, where the audience becomes a chorus to the horrifying sermon unfolding onscreen. The film tells a story about real people through the type of heightened emotion and theatrics that were once thought only to be understood through a performance on stage- heartbreak, rage, violence, and the quiet undertow of divine forces pushing each character toward their choices. The greatest stories are often the ones rooted most deeply in humanity, and Is God Is understands that completely.