Is God Is Ending Explained

4 weeks ago 12

Warning: Spoilers for Is God Is

Is God Is debuted in theaters last week to rave reviews from critics. As it stands, the movie sits at a 98% score with critics on Rotten Tomatoes and an 88% with general audiences, highlighting the acclaim it has received upon release.

The film, which is based on a stage play of the same name, follows two sisters who embark on a quest for revenge against their father, who they haven’t seen since they were children. The sisters, Racine and Anaia, reunite with their mother, who tells them that their father burned her alive, causing severe damage to the skin of her and the sisters, Anaia in particular.

From there, their mother asks them to kill their father, which kicks off the story of revenge. Racine is fired up and almost excited to kill her father, whereas Anaia remains more hesitant about taking someone’s life, especially their own father. Along the way, the duo meet a number of others who knew their father, with most only having bad things to say.

Come the end of the movie, the twins are closer than ever to completing their mission and returning to their mother with good news. The final confrontation is incredibly intense, with a stellar performance from Sterling K. Brown in particular, and changes the lives of the sisters forever.

Racine and Anaia Confront Their Father

The two sisters looking enraged in Is God Is

In the third act, Racine and Anaia go to the house of their father. They discover that he has another pair of twins, this time boys, and a new wife. His wife, played by Janelle Monáe, shows a disturbing fear of her husband. She’s seen packing up her things and quietly leaving to go across country, saying goodbye to their children but without letting them know that she’s leaving for good.

Racine and Anaia run into Monáe as she’s driving out. The three get into an argument, at which point Racine and Anaia reveal themselves to have the same father that her sons have. Despite the trauma they all share, the argument escalates, so much that Racine actually ends up killing Monáe in anger.

From there, the twins go to the front door of the house and greet their siblings, who are under the impression that the girls are performers sent by their dad to celebrate their birthday. One of the boys makes a demeaning comment about Anaia’s burns on her skin, which then sends Racine into a rage, killing him. Racine then kills the other brother but is knocked out in the process.

After that, their father comes home. Sterling K. Brown is credited only as the Monster in Is God Is, but he initially doesn’t act as such. At first, he appears normal and calm, but his strange behavior comes from his calmness. He’s too relaxed given the situation, walking past the body of his son and continuing to go on and make a sandwich. He’s aware that his older children are there, and greets Anaia while she hides under the table.

The father initially spins a tale that he only met to hurt their mother, not the kids, but blows his cover when Anaia lets her guard down and he attacks her. It's incredible acting from Brown, some of the best work he's done in his already acclaimed career. Racine eventually wakes up and helps her sister, and together they overpower their dad, put him in a bath, and light him on fire.

Racine’s Death And The Birth Of Anaia’s Daughter

At this point, it seems that the sisters have won in their mission. Then, at the last second, Racine is pulled into the fire by her father, succumbing to the flames. Anaia flees the house and watches as it burns to the ground with her family in it. The sisters successfully got revenge, but at a huge cost.

Anaia then begins to narrate the ending, in which she talks about telling her daughter stories about her aunt. It’s a touching moment that also highlights what Racine lost as she gave into her rage and desire for revenge. In the end, their father is dead, but the loss of her sister showed that for Racine, it was a hollow victory at best.