Straw is a 2025 American psychological crime drama film written, produced, and directed by Tyler Perry. The film features a cast that includes Taraji P. Henson, Teyana Taylor, Sinbad, Sherri Shepherd, and others. It was released on Netflix on June 6, 2025.
The film follows a single mother, played by Taraji P. Henson, who lives in a run-down apartment with her ill daughter, Aria. One day at work, she receives a call from Aria’s school, but her boss warns her that she has only 30 minutes to return or risk losing her job. When she arrives at the school, she is met by Child Protective Services, who take her daughter into custody. And, its at that moment, she’s encounter a series of unfortunate events that gradually push her to the edge, causing her to lose control.
The film focuses on an important and powerful subject, mental illness, and explores the everyday struggles and challenges that many people endure. Taraji P. Henson delivers a superb, raw, and emotionally heart-breaking, gut-wrenching performance, reaffirming her status as a truly outstanding actress.
That said, the film isn’t without its flaws. The storyline contains several plot holes, and the script feels exasperated and unbalanced. However, credit is due to Tyler Perry, this stands as one of his more respectably better and grounded works when compared to the entirety of his film and television catalog. While the writing is haphazard, the story remains compelling, and it’s the powerful performances by Taraji P. Henson and Sherri Shepherd that truly hold the film together.
Nevertheless, much of the dialogue felt amateurish and unrealistic, lack of subtext with several cast members delivering inconsistent performances. The execution was lacking overall, marked by poorly framed shots and discordant footage. The plot itself was disappointingly predictable. Like many of Tyler Perry’s past works, Straw follows a familiar and overused formula: a struggling single mother, story with illogical twists that often defy basic logic, a narrative plagued by nonsensical plot developments and reliance on cliché, unoriginal theme and plot, a narrative that leans heavily on stereotypical and, a plot that is mostly driven by conventional and unrealistic events, failing to provide any new and fresh perspectives.
Overall, the movie’s powerful theme makes it worth watching, even if some elements are just average.
