A modern samurai assassin takes on a cult of militant evangelicals while searching for breast milk for his infant daughter in "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother," the plot for which sounds like it was dreamt up in an improv exercise.

But this action thriller is no laughing matter. It is brought to life by two-time Academy Award-winner Mahershala Ali, who gives his character, Latif, a quiet soul and a burning ferocity that lights up the screen. Watching "Your Mother," it's not hard to believe you're watching the world's finest actor at full strength.

Ali's Latif is a Texas hit man — he prefers swords to guns, thank you very much — who is a devout Muslim and a devoted family man. He has three kids: teenage daughter Fatiha (Adia), preteen son Qadir (Jahleel Kamara), and an infant daughter, and he's trying to keep the family together after the death of his wife. Her sudden absence is what necessitates the need for breast milk, since his daughter won't take to formula.

And that quest drives the film's narrative, and is as high stakes as any of Latif's interactions with bad guys. Those bad guys include John Cho as Pastor Hwan Yoon, a grill-wearing evangelical who surrounds himself with a posse of armed-to-the-teeth religious psychos — Cho has never been so loose onscreen — as well as Hatty (Abubakr Ali), a sleazy porn producer. Because why not add porn into the mix of a film where there are already so many other hot potatoes being passed around.

Writer-director Bassam Tariq admirably balances tone in a story that could easily become a runaway train, centering it on Latif's family in a way that tethers it to reality. And Ali keeps it grounded with his solemn, earthbound performance and the richness and honesty with which he textures his character. He's the story's anchor, and his performance is nothing short of stunning.

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'YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER'

Grade: B

MPA rating: R (for violence/bloody images, language and some sexual content)

Running time: 1:51

How to watch: In theaters nationwide Oct. 9

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