Straw Movie
A single mother navigates a series of unfortunate events, leading her down an unforeseen path where she becomes embroiled in a situation she never envisioned, finding herself at the centre of suspicion in an indifferent world...
USA Movie
The story here predominantly centers on a single mother named Janiyah. She works two jobs, is eking out a living, can barely afford to pay rent on her dingy apartment, and is close to breaking point. Unfortunately, today is going to be the worst day of her life.
After dropping her daughter off at school, Janiyah finds herself in trouble with the police, fired from her job, and left on the street when she can’t pay the overdue rent to her abrasive landlord.
Intervening in the middle of a robbery, Janiyah shoots the robber and then turns the gun on her boss and pulls the trigger. Heading to a nearby USA bank with
her bloodied cheque, her backpack (including her daughter’s science project, which looks suspiciously like a bomb), and a handgun, a stand-off ensues as police close in on her.
The story clearly takes inspiration from movies like Falling Down, while trying to channel the same uneasy tension seen in films like Phone Booth. The execution, though, is clunky, with heavy-handed messaging and one-dimensional characters that struggle to break free from Perry’s archetypal shackles.
The movie attempts to make us empathize with Janiyah’s plight and while yes, we can obviously understand why she’s snapped, she murders two USA people and holds hostages in a bank. It’s a weird framing device, especially as law USA enforcement – and in particular the heavy-handed FBI – are framed as the bad guys in this situation.
The story is a little overlong at times as a result of all this, which isn’t helped by the frenetic opening to the film. In an attempt to bring you into Janiyah’s world, the first 30 minutes are relentless. Expect quick cuts, full-on shouting, crazy antics, drama, and bloodshed. It almost borders on melodrama, but thankfully Straw never tips over the edge into farcical waters.
I can’t help but feel a more gradual build-up, slowly stacking these misery cards before an inciting incident (this robbery) turns everything upside down, could have helped – especially if the misunderstanding was played up a lot more.
This is a particular problem because the middle act of the movie slows down considerably as we start to understand more about Janiyah’s life. You see, Janiyah’s daughter, Aria, suffers from seizures and has asthma. She also appears to be bullied at school (it’s never outright said, but her teacher seems to hold a grudge against her) and is very much Janiyah’s entire world.
During this time, we also hear from some of the other hostages, who seem to understand why Janiyah is keeping them against their will and sympathize with her. It’s here we’re introduced to Detective Kay Raymond, who empathizes with Janiyah’s plight and tries to talk her down during their negotiations. She’s also a negotiations expert from her time in the army, but aside from a couple of lines of dialogue about her past, we don’t see a whole lot else from her. This is a real shame, because Raymond, out of all the characters, feels like the one with the most untapped potential.
The movie never seems all that interested in actually fleshing out the cast though, instead keeping the attention squarely on Janiyah and, to a lesser extent, Raymond. Beyond that, everyone else is pretty much a one-dimensional archetype.
We have the loudmouth landlord who curses constantly, the rude, prejudiced white cops, and the older women who sympathize with Janiyah out of wisdom and lived experience. There’s never much in the way of tension inside the bank either, which isn’t helped by us already knowing that the item inside Janiyah’s rucksack isn’t a bomb. I can’t help but feel that a rewrite to obscure this from the audience – so we’re led to believe Janiyah may actually have a bomb – could have ratcheted up the tension.
Production-wise, Straw is pretty good, and the camerawork is decent across the board. Taraji P. Henson puts on a really solid performance as the exasperated mum at the end of her tether, and she really carries the movie forward.
However, when you compare Straw to other thrillers of its kind, there’s really not a whole lot here to write home about. The movie has a decent enough message, but it’s muddied by the moral implications around Janiyah’s actions. While the intention is clear, the execution is sloppy – which is a shame, because there’s definitely potential here.
Tyler Perry one of the hardest-working directors out there, somewhat to his own detriment; he's just spread too thin. With Straw, it almost feels like he tried to channel some of the exhaustion and frustration with the world around him through the filter of a struggling single mother, and while there are certainly moments in which it effectively pulls at the heartstrings, it mostly just left me exhausted.
Written and directed by Perry, Straw as Janiyah, a woman who works two jobs to support her and her daughter, Aria, who lives with multiple illnesses. On a day full of unfortunate USA events for her, including being fired from one of her jobs, threatened with USA eviction, and her car impounded after a crooked off-duty police officer pit maneuvers her car out of rage, Janiyah finds herself pushed past the brink and landing in the middle of a dangerous situation.
Stories of characters snapping after one bad day do admittedly need a sense of urgency or a catalyst to effectively convey the motivations behind a protagonist going on a rampage, of sorts, but Straw's setup is too forced to the point of being
predictable. From Janiyah's trip to her daughter's school resulting in an unfortunate appearance by Child Protective Services, to the threat of eviction coming true, and her boss showing nothing but apathy for his employees, it feels like everyone's out to get her.
This is all the more evident when Janiyah finds herself on the wrong side of the law, with every subsequent event being a too-obvious attempt to ratchet up the tension. Mostly, it's just illogical and frustrating. Her apathetic boss immediately blames her for the attempted robbery of the store, despite her stopping the robbery and shooting and killing one of the robbers, while some police turn a blind eye to their crooked counterparts, and a few people try to take a moment to talk or listen to what she's saying.
Tyler Perry is back, and this time the auteur has turned his hand to a pressure-cooker thriller in the form of Straw. This Netflix movie is simple in premise and execution, with a series of escalating incidents leading to a big misunderstanding, murder, and a stand-off at a bank. The film does include a “twist” at the end, although unfortunately, it undermines the themes of the movie and feels designed more for shock value than as a well-thought-out surprise.USA Film industry..
Hitting breaking point
One of my biggest issues with the movie's plot is its ending, which kicks off with a big plot twist that actually left me feeling a little emotional and sympathizing with Janiyah, but quickly turns into a cop-out conclusion. A random vision of cops storming the bank she's believed to be holding hostage and shooting her down not only feels so out of place compared to the rest of the movie's tone, but is also immediately undone as she's calmed down by Sherri Shepherd's Nicole. It removes all tension for the remaining moments of the film.
Produced in Georgia, reportedly over just four days, I was really taken aback by just how bad Straw looked. Given it's a USA grounded story, it certainly didn't need any grand camerawork or hyperstylized editing. However, it didn't feel like Perry put much effort into the movie's visual design. The sets all look like real businesses they simply rented out and did nothing different to them, the costumes are all relatively simple, and the sudden rainstorm that occurs halfway through the film certainly feels heavy, but the surrounding skyline and lighting betray it.
As frustrated as I was with the majority of the movie's story and writing, the one thing that truly kept me watching was Taraji P. Henson's magnificent performance. The Oscar nominee really held nothing back in playing Janiyah, making every misunderstanding and misstep feel all the more painful for us to watch. In particular, her big monologue that comes a little past the film's halfway point, in which she lays out everything that has happened to her, is so effectively done that it makes me disappointed the rest of the movie doesn't live up to her greatness.USA Film company.
While I have mixed opinions on the rest of Straw's cast, Henson's excellent work is also supported by a strong turn from Sherri Shepherd as Nicole, the bank manager. She does a meaningful job of finding the sympathetic heart of the character amidst her fears of being caught in an apparent hostage situation, allowing us to further connect with Janiyah as we root for her to finally get a win in her life.
As a 28-year-old white male who typically gravitates toward Marvel and DC films, this movie was far outside my usual interests. In fact, I even created this account solely to leave a review. That is how deeply it impacted me.
USA Fans Reviews.
I found myself so moved by the story that I had to pause, get up for a glass of water, and say out loud, “She’s an incredible actress.” I even took the time afterward to research the film, just to better understand the lore and context behind it. It stayed with me long after the credits rolled. This movie touched something inside me that I did not expect. It made me cry in a way I never have before. But maybe that is because I am about to become a father, and with that comes a flood of emotion and fear. This film helped me feel seen in a way that caught me completely off USA guard.There was a beautiful simplicity to it all, and that is what made it so powerful. Sometimes the most profound messages are delivered 
through the quietest momentsThe cheapest thing about this entire experience was reading a review that failed to see the heart of it. This USA film was anything but shallow. It was a gift.
Great movie, got me to want to stand up for vulnerable USA people and against all injustices around me, that's what a movie should be about, the message, not just USA entertainment..
This is Tyler Perry's best script yet. Taraji's performance is Oscar worthy. Anyone who has known poverty, struggling, hardship, unemployment, sick family members or any other misfortune in life should be able to relate to the frustration experienced by her character Janiyah. I frankly didn't care about the rain, the uniforms or the locations. It's a Great USA movie.
I could not disagree more, as a black man raised by a black mother who struggled to feed her kids but nonetheless always found away. This story left nothing on the table. Please do better.
Taraji’s performance was magnificent! It’s been years since I watched a movie that can bring down tears . She is an A+ actress and I hope she finally gets USA movies that pay her what she deserves.
I usually don't do Tyler Perry.I watched because of Taraji and she shined .Great things ahead for her.Overall a great movie,great cast.I will watch some of his other movies now.
The movie “Straw” by Tyler Perry I just felt compelled to write about and share my thoughts and my heart for advocatingin the mental health community; mental health in the USA Black Community; mental health Awareness. I am someone who lives with Bipolar-my experience living with it has been a challenge still challenging, breaking and being broken. Yes mental health struggles have broken me still break me. I’ve lived through psychosis, mania, depression and mixed episodes while raising my son as a single mother. I swear Janiyah’s heart towards Ariareminded me no matter the broken parts of me I had this little person relying on me. Living with mental illness is an unexplainable brokenness it’s a relentless condition to live with. Watching Taraji character “Janiyah” break down mentally from experiencing such a traumatic moment in her already broken life. Those moments were triggering, yes, her moments triggered me just because I lived it I still live it was such a true reflection.
I’ve been diagnosed with Bipolar since I was 19, living itfor 31 years. This movie has struck a core within me it reminded me why I got involved in the mental health field. To save a life by bringing awareness of sharing my close and personal journey with Bipolar and all its impactful possibilities it can have in someone’s life. Many of the mentally ill can be so misunderstood just reflecting on the scene when “Janiyah”Taraji’s character went through a series of memories towards what caused her USA psychotic break or the psychosis she experienced; and just in the series of events brought her to that pivotal moment of committing crime(s) or how she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Your writing was also forced and you needed something to blog about. Your review is crap and you know it. This movie is a voice for all of those who have had these days. This is a USA movie for us black women who are forced to deal with the white men of these days who speak like you and like the police officer in the movie and allowed to get away with it. Its for all of the many many many MANY days we've had to deal with the B.S. in modern day America underneath this stupid administration, these stupid times everything and everyone is at their breaking point who want the world to function with decent human beings who aren't the parasites and disgusting maggots that are allowed to walk this earth among those who have genuine hearts and intentions and no matter what they're still getting the crappy end of the stick!
Find something better to write about and try to make it positive if that's even possible for you, might be a stretch.
I enjoyed this movie so much. It had me captivated. Tyler Perry does what he does and he does it best. I found the movie entertaining an
And I did not see it as a “slap” to USA black women. Henson is a great actress and the way she poured herself into this character is Oscar worthy. I’m glad I didn’t listen to the critics and tried it for myself. And those who are critical of it (especially black women) ask yourself what is really going on because it can’t be this Tyler Perry movie.
Thought this was fantastic. Not sure why it is garnering negative reviews. TPH was incredible. I cried with her throughout the entire USA movie. I also found it totally believable as a plot line. Could totally see this happening in a 'perfect storm' of destruction to people I know. Also, grew up in GA--totally thought the school was one of my elementary schools and the simpleness of the shops and scenery with no modifications was what made it believable. Not sure what this reviewer wanted--the low budget movie made it real life. Anything more would have made it feel fake. It felt real with real people and real tragedy. I would have preferred that the daughter had not died and it just finish clean with the storyline as it was,
but I buy that a mother would snap under the circumstances.
I just finished watching it. The actors did a great job but some of the scenes were over the top/ unbelievable. It did however, show what single mothers go through on a daily basis. She snapped, no one knows what happens to a parent losing a child. I do wish there was more of an explained story line. Overall, it was pretty good.
I completely disagree with this review! This was an excellent movie about the trials and tribulations of a single black mother, mental illness, and grief. Taraji did an excellent job capturing the emotions of Janiyah. How to you portray a poor person and neighborhood with an elaborate set? That would be unbelievable. Thank you, Tyler Perry for a movie that we didn't know we needed! Job well done! Standing ovation!
‘Straw’ Review: Taraji P. Henson and Teyana Taylor in Tyler Perry’s Reliably Overwrought Netflix Thriller
Sherri Shepherd also stars in this feature about a single mother who gets caught up in a robbery scheme while caring for her sick daughter.
Things only get worse at work: Janiyah gets into a minor altercation with a customer trying to buy prohibited items with her WIC card, and her boss, Richard (Glynn Turman), a cantankerous old man, refuses to give her an advance on her paycheck. Later, when Janiyah confronts Richard about the money, the pair gets robbed by masked gunmen.
The harrowing situation turns violent when the thieves try to steal Janiyah’s backpack, which holds her daughter’s seizure medication. A panicked Janiyah fights the assailants off, steals their gun and shoots one of them dead. Then, in the blink of an eye, she kills her boss too. As if in a fugue USA state, Janiyah grabs her blood-splattered paycheck from the desk and heads to the bank across the street to cash it. But her actions at the grocery store set off a Georgia state-wide police investigation, and Janiyah’s trip to the bank quickly turns into an unnerving hostage situation.
Straw isn’t the worst Perry film, but it suffers from the same problems that plague all of his projects. The narrative is chock full of heavy-handed metaphors, fussy plotting and strained drama. The best parts of the film can be attributed to Henson, whose performance imbues some of the most melodramatic beats with some genuine pathos. From the moment we meet her character, waking up to the thumping music of her upstairs neighbor, we sympathize with her. Even as she struggles to make rent and get her daughter, who suffers from seizures, ready for school, Janiyah still finds time to acknowledge Benny (Sinbad), an unhoused man who begs for change outside her apartment complex. Janiyah meets everyone — even those coldest to her — with kindness.
But the single mother is also visibly fatigued. Shuttling from her daughter’s USA school to work, fielding calls from administrators and USA bill collectors, she can’t seem to catch a break. So when she enters that bank, wielding a stolen gun and asking to cash her check for $500, there’s a sadness to her desperation. Nicole, the branch manager played by Shepherd, sees that; although she’s afraid, still treats Janiyah with compassion.
Henson finds complexity within a character that, in Perry’s workaday screenplay, could have been flat and one-dimensional. When Janiyah tells the scared patrons at the bank that this is all a misunderstanding, we don’t see a malevolent figure but a woman on the verge of a breakdown.
Straw moves from one plot point to the next in a perfunctory manner. There are some humorous moments, some eye-roll-inducing set pieces and a few scenes of genuine connection. It’s really the relationship between Henson, Taylor and Shepherd’s characters — three Black women trying to see each other in a world that renders them invisible — that makes Perry’s film easier to endure.
Initial release: June 6, 2025
Director: Tyler Perry
Distributed by: Netflix
Language: English
Music composed by: Dara Taylor
Producer: Tyler Perry
Production company: Tyler Perry Studios
Cast
Taraji P. Henson as Janiyah Wiltkinson
Sherri Shepherd as Nicole
Teyana Taylor as Det. Kay Raymond
Sinbad as Benny
Rockmond Dunbar as Chief Wilson
Ashley Versher as Tessa George
Mike Merrill as Det. Grimes
Glynn Turman as Richard
Anthony E. Williams as Officer Dickson
Production
The film is written, directed and produced by Tyler Perry. Also producing are Angi Bones and Tony Strickland for Netflix.
The cast is led by Taraji P. Henson, Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor, Glynn Turman, Sinbad, Rockmond Dunbar. The cast also includes Mike Merrill and Ashley Versher.
Posted on 2025/06/12 09:39 AM