IS GOD IS: Bittersweet Revenge

IS GOD IS (Blu-ray)

2026 / 99 min

Alliance Entertainment

Review by Princess Pepper😺

Humorist Josh Billings once wrote, “There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.” Yeah, okay…but show me someone who doesn’t enjoy a good revenge flick now and again and I’ll show you someone whose life is devoid of joy…and spicy food…and novelty socks…and sex with the lights on. Sure, in real life, revenge seldom works out the way we want it to, but in movies? Sometimes there’s nothing more satisfying than swift violent payback. 

Of course, the inherent problem with the subgenre is there are a finite number of scenarios, meaning we tend to see variations of the same story over and over again. And if done well, I’m generally cool with that. After all, who goes to an AC/DC concert hoping to hear a ballad? Still, I always appreciate one that tries to do something unique with the formula. With the awkwardly titled Is God Is, first-time writer-director Aleshea Harris has made a Tarantinoesque revenge film that's both rousing and bittersweet.

Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) are twins who were disfigured during childhood and raised in numerous foster homes. As adults, all they really have is each other. When unexpectedly summoned by their dying mother (Vivica A. Fox), who they thought was already dead, they see that she, too, bears similar scars. She then reveals how they all ended up this way: Years earlier, their father set her on fire, and the two girls suffered burns trying to save her. Worse yet, their father got away with it thanks to a fast talking lawyer. 

Sometimes you gotta dance like the entire state of Tennessee is watching. 

Mom (whom they refer to as God, since she “created” them) has one dying wish…for Racine and Anaia to find their dad and kill him, along with everything he now loves. Though Anaia has mixed feelings over committing murder, Racine  (who’s always been the more aggressive twin), is more than ready to exact revenge, reasoning that he’s solely responsible for the misery they’ve endured all their lives.

The middle act is an episodic journey to find him. While this stretch is sometimes a little pokey, the sisters have some amusing encounters with Dad’s old acquaintances. In fact, the film is often pretty damn funny, due to how well-realized the two protagonists are…so in-tune with each other that they’re able to carry on conversations without speaking (the subtitles are a clever touch). There’s also conflict between them, largely because of their opposing views over the quest they’ve undertaken. We get the impression this is the first time they don’t see eye to eye. But their unconditional love for each other is very clear, which endears us to them.

I won’t reveal anything that transpires after they do finally find their father (Sterling K. Brown) and his new family (including Janelle Monae as his wife, who might also be suffering from abuse). However, I will say that Harris delivers a wild, violent and emotionally-charged finale. Whether or not it’s a satisfying ending depends on what viewers expect from their revenge flicks, but I appreciated how it made me feel.

ROOFMAN (4K): There's More Than Toys in the Attic

ROOFMAN (4K UHD)

2025 / 125 min

Paramount

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Burgler😺

Roofman is another one of those movies that, if unaware it was a true story, you probably wouldn’t believe a minute of it. Of course, one could still question how accurately it depicts the people and events, but what’s the fun in that? Since I knew nothing about robber/fugitive/toy store squatter Jeffrey Manchester beforehand, I found it pretty fascinating, though not the movie I was expecting.

Channing Tatum plays Jeffrey, a former soldier who struggles to hold a job after being discharged. He’s congenial and brilliant, but despite his best intentions, is also pretty irresponsible and clueless when it comes family obligations. Then he hatches a meticulous plan to start robbing local McDonald’s restaurants, always going in through the roof at night and waiting until the manager arrives the next morning. After committing over 40 robberies, he’s finally caught and sent to prison.

He later escapes and ends up hiding out in a Toys ‘R’ Us store…where he lives for months. Hiding during the day and coming out at night, these scenes amusingly show Jeffrey using what’s available to live more comfortably, which includes disabling security cameras and setting up his own surveillance system with baby monitors. He also begins to take a vested interest in some of the employees, especially single mom Leigh Wainscott (Kirsten Dunst), with whom he develops a relationship once he’s bold enough to start leaving the store.

Ultra-decaf.

Though frequently funny, especially the first half, Roofman isn’t quite the straight comedy I was expecting. Jeffrey’s exploits - both his criminal activities and life in the store - are pretty amusing. At the same time, there’s a melancholy undertone throughout the narrative. Jeffrey’s extraordinarily likable and friendly, but we suspect things won’t end well for him. More tellingly, Jeffrey himself seems increasingly aware that none of what he’s doing is sustainable…not so much through his narration, but Tatum’s affecting performance (it might be one of his best).

Similarly, the romance between Jeffrey and Leigh is charming, but what I mostly felt was sympathy for the latter at being so thoroughly duped (no matter how good Jeffrey’s intentions are). Personally speaking, what made me saddest was being constantly reminded that there aren't any more Toys 'R' Us stores. Still, as stranger-than-fiction stories go, this is a little overlong but mostly entertaining, with solid performances by a cast that includes LaKeith Stanfield, Peter Dinklage and Ben Mendelsohn in prominent supporting roles. Just don't go expecting a laugh riot.

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL COPIES

FEATURETTES - Based on Actual Events and Terrible Decisions is a look at the true story that inspired the film, as well as cast & director interviews; Chasing the Ghosts: The Director’s Method showcases director Derek Cianfrance; A Good Place to Hide is about the effort to recreate a new Toys ‘R’ Us store in an abandoned building where one used to be (this is the most entertaining of the bonus features); Driving Lesson is about the used car test drive sequence; Choir Practice looks at rehearsals of the church choir sequences.

DELETED/ALTERNATE SCENES