“Kill Your Daddy”
“Kill Your Daddy”: Vivica A. Fox and Sterling K. Brown Unleash Mayhem in First Trailer for ‘Is God Is’
LOS ANGELES — The classic revenge thriller just got a "three-clicks-to-the-left" makeover. Amazon MGM Studios and Orion Pictures have officially pulled back the curtain on Is God Is, a visceral, genre-bending revenge epic starring Vivica A. Fox and Sterling K. Brown (trailer below).
Based on the Obie Award-winning play by Aleshea Harris, who also writes and makes her feature directorial debut here, the film is being described as a "Black Western" infused with the kinetic energy of Quentin Tarantino and the haunting weight of Greek tragedy.
The Mission: A Blood Debt
The first trailer, which debuted Friday 20th February introduces audiences to twin sisters Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson). Burned and disfigured in a horrific childhood fire, the sisters are summoned to the bedside of their dying mother, Ruby (Fox)—referred to by her daughters simply as "God."
In a performance that critics are already calling a terrifying return to form for Fox, Ruby delivers a blunt, singular command to her children: track down the "Monster"—their father (Brown), and kill him for what he did to them.
“This isn't just a movie about payback; it’s about a family legacy written in ash,” Harris said during a press junket. “I wanted to show Black women and girls in a space where they are the ones seeking their destiny, fueled by a rage that is both ancient and deeply personal.”
A “Monster” Like No Other
For Sterling K. Brown, the role of the father marks a drastic departure from the noble, emotionally resonant characters he portrayed in This Is Us and American Fiction. In Is God Is, he plays a cold-blooded figure living a secret second life in the California desert with a new wife, played by Janelle Monáe.
The trailer teases a high-stakes collision between the sisters and their father’s new world, promising a stylized "grindhouse" aesthetic that blends dark humor with unflinching violence.
An All-Star Ensemble
To ground the breakout performances of Young and Johnson, Harris has surrounded them with a powerhouse cast of industry veterans:
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Erika Alexander: Playing "Divine," a mystic healer the sisters encounter on their journey.
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Janelle Monáe: As the glamorous, unsuspecting new wife of the twins' father.
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Mykelti Williamson: Taking on the role of Chuck Hall, a lawyer caught in the family's crosshairs.
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Josiah Cross: Rounding out the supporting cast in a pivotal role.
From Stage to Screen
Produced by Tessa Thompson’s Viva Maude and Janicza Bravo (Zola), the film successfully translates the play’s unique "mother tongue"—a specific, rhythmic take on AAVE (African American Vernacular English)—to the screen. Insiders suggest that Harris has even incorporated the play's experimental typographical style into the film’s visual language, with text occasionally "exploding" across the frame to mirror the characters' internal states.
Is God Is is scheduled for a high-profile theatrical release on 15th May 2026. With its blend of "Afro-surrealism" and classic "revenge-flick" grit, it is already being positioned as a major contender for the 2026 awards season.
