Straw

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Post created on 5:00 pm

 

 

Tyler Perry’s Straw, a psychological crime drama released on Netflix on June 6, 2025, marks a departure from the filmmaker’s signature comedic and melodramatic fare.

Written, directed, and produced by Tyler Perry, the film dives into the harrowing reality of a single mother pushed to her breaking point by systemic failures and personal loss. Anchored by a raw, awards-worthy performance from Taraji P. Henson, Straw tackles heavy themes with an unflinching intensity that has sparked intense discussion among viewers and critics alike.

Despite mixed reviews, the film’s emotional depth and shocking twists have propelled it to the top of Netflix’s global charts, cementing its place as one of Perry’s most ambitious projects to date.

 

 

PLOT

Straw follows Janiyah Wiltkinson, a single mother in Atlanta struggling to care for her sick daughter, Aria, while navigating poverty and systemic obstacles. The film unfolds over a single, catastrophic day that begins with mounting pressures: an eviction notice, Aria’s school lunch debt, and a demeaning job at a grocery store where Janiyah faces abusive customers and a dismissive boss, Richard. After a racist off-duty cop impounds her car and a call from Aria’s school threatens child protective services intervention, Janiyah’s day spirals into chaos.

A robbery at her workplace turns violent when Janiyah, in a panic, disarms a gunman, kills him, and shoots Richard during his 911 call. Fleeing to a nearby bank to cash her blood-stained paycheck, Janiyah’s frantic demeanor and possession of the robber’s gun lead employees to assume she’s staging a holdup, triggering a hostage situation.

As police surround the bank, Detective Raymond and bank manager Nicole attempt to de-escalate, forming a fragile bond with Janiyah. The narrative builds to a devastating twist: Aria died of a seizure the previous night, and Janiyah has been hallucinating her presence, operating in a dissociative state. A hallucinated vision of being gunned down by police gives way to reality, where Nicole talks Janiyah into surrendering. Raymond cuffs her gently, and a crowd of protesters outside signals public solidarity with Janiyah’s plight.

The film ends with Janiyah facing prison but with a glimmer of hope that her grief-driven breakdown may lead to a lighter sentence. Perry’s script, while criticized for its contrivances, keeps viewers on edge with its relentless pacing and emotional stakes.

 

CAST

The movie features stars led by Taraji P. Henson as Janiyah Wiltkinson, Sherri Shepherd as Nicole, Teyana Taylor plays Detective Kay Raymond, Glynn Turman portrays Richard, Gabby Jackson plays Aria, while Rockmond Dunbar, Ashley Versher, and Mike Merrill round out the cast as figures in Janiyah’s orbit, from police chief to bank employees.