Tyler Perry’s Straw (2025) is not an easy watch, nor is it meant to be. The Netflix film delivers a punishing depiction of a woman crushed beneath the weight of everyday survival. Tyler Perry’s film delivers social realism, psychological tension and emotional angst to create a story that is both intimate and unsettling. Straw is messy, melodramatic and a whole lot maddening. Lead actor Taraji P. Henson’s powerhouse performance as Janiyah makes this film something that stays with you for weeks after viewing.
Image credit – heavenofhorror.com
Set over the course of a single harrowing day, Straw follows Janiyah a single mother battling to hold her life together. Living on the poverty line, Janiyah juggles two jobs while caring for her young daughter who suffers from severe asthma and seizures. Her life, already precarious, unravels in quick succession: an eviction notice, a car breakdown, job loss and her daughters school pressure her for a payment. As the blows mount, Janiyah’s composure fractures culminating into a tense hostage situation at her local bank. The films delivery of endless calamities may sound excessive, yet Perrys depiction insists that this sequence of despair is neither exaggerated nor uncommon. It’s a stark depiction of how easily a person’s life can collapse under systems that offer no safety net.
Visually and emotionally, Straw is relentless, excruciating at times and emotionally exhausting. As each turn builds tension it is almost unbearable to watch, the film barely grants the audience a moment to breathe. And that is exactly the point of the film, it depicts how easy it is for anyone’s life to fall apart due to no fault of their own. Perry wants the viewer to experience the fatigue of living life on the edge, where even the smallest of setback can feel catastrophic.
Tyler Perry’s STRAW | Official Trailer | Netflix
Taraji P. Henson is the reason Straw is so dramatic and thought provoking. Her powerhouse portrayal of character Janiyah evokes frustration, desperation, agony and pure hopelessness. She delivers a raw, electrifying performance that delivers in every scene to ground the movie and knit the plot together. Her authentic performance makes you realise why she is one of the best actors in the industry, certainly many scenes felt unscripted and authentic. Critics all over have applauded Straw as one of her best performances and they are right. She makes you believe in every twist and turn and draws you completed into the emotion that is felt by her character.
Ok so no spoilers here but when reviewing a film such as Straw on must explore the final plot twist. While some viewers have claimed it as manipulative others saw it as the gut punch that elevated the entire film. The twist revel adds an emotional hit, but it also exposes how contrived some of the earlier plot points were. What is undeniable however is that the ending forces the viewer to think differently about Janiyah’s choices and about how trauma shapes perceptions. Whether you love or hate the twist it undoubtably lingers.
Image Credit – The Direct
Straws emotional impact isn’t subtle. Perry throws every possible hardship to his protagonist – unemployment, evictions, racism, sexism, police hostility and the accumulation of these hefty subjects can feel excessive. The supporting characters aren’t always given that same care in the storyline and Janiyah. They often feel like one dimensional characters not given the time to build their way into the plot. Perry’s message about the systematic failure is compelling, however the storyline can at times feel rushed and uneven.
Straw delivers a film that is essentially about survival and how this plays out, not just in the physical sense but also emotionally showing the endurance need just to get through what should be a normal day. It depicts just how much one person can endure before they break. It also portrays the story of a woman trying to survive without a safety net navigating the endless roadblocks that should not be so demanding. This depiction not only shows the grit of how women are expected to be endlessly strong but also how Janiyah not only carries the weight of her daughter, work and her endless debts but also the weight of a culture that demands resilience but rarely offers relief.
Straw isn’t perfect, in fact it is far from it. However, it is a film that is deeply emotional, thought provocative and is driven by a performance that demands attention. If you are seeking a night of pleasurable viewing Straw isn’t the film for you. However, if you want a film that will leave you emotionally drained and makes you think hard about the injustices that are evident in our society then Straw is the film for you.
My verdict 7.5/10 – At times too rushed but unforgettable.
Simone L 
Annisa 
Hilda Hinton