Tyler Perry's Straw 2025

🎬 Basic Details

  • Genre & Format: American psychological crime drama directed, written, and produced by Tyler Perry—a 108-minute, English-language Netflix original released June 6, 2025.

  • Runtime: 108 minutes.


đź§© Plot Synopsis

Straw unfolds over a single, harrowing day in the life of Janiyah Wiltkinson (Taraji P. Henson), a struggling single mom to a chronically ill daughter, Aria. The morning spirals downhill: eviction threats, a workplace crisis, the loss of her paycheck, and a CPS intervention at her daughter’s school . A violent encounter with robbers at work leads Janiyah to flee with a gun and head to the bank—to cash her check. But the situation escalates into a tense hostage situation, compounded by a science project misidentified as a bomb.

The climax takes a devastating twist: Janiyah has been hallucinating Aria, who actually died the prior night from a seizure. The vivid standoff, including tear gas and a public livestream, blurs reality and illusion. Ultimately, Detective Raymond (Teyana Taylor) and bank manager Nicole (Sherri Shepherd) guide Janiyah to surrender amid support from the crowd—a more redemptive ending than earlier versions.

Straw - Tyler perry's Full Movie 2025 | Taraji P. Henson, Sherri Shepherd |  Review & Facts


🎭 Cast

  • Taraji P. Henson as Janiyah Wiltkinson

  • Sherri Shepherd as Nicole, the bank manager turned ally

  • Teyana Taylor as Detective Kay Raymond, empathetic negotiator

  • Sinbad as Benny, the helpful neighbor

  • Glynn Turman, Rockmond Dunbar, Mike Merrill, Ashley Versher among supporting roles

STRAW (2025) – Review | Netflix Thriller-drama | Tyler Perry | Heaven of  Horror


⏰ Themes & Style

  • Explores the crushing weight of poverty, healthcare inaccessibility, systemic neglect, mental breakdown, and societal indifference—especially toward Black single mothers.

  • Strong sense of theatrical melodrama with Tyler Perry’s characteristic twists—imbued with emotional resonance, though some critics viewed storytelling and pacing as overbearing or implausible.

  • Taraji P. Henson’s performance is widely praised: raw, intense, and deeply compelling—many suggest it’s one of Perry’s strongest leading roles to date.

Tyler Perry's STRAW Trailer (2025) Taraji P. Henson - YouTube


🎥 Critical Reception

Perspective Highlights
Acclaim “Heart‑wrenching,” “insane plot twist,” lead performance Oscar-worthy. Most-watched film on Netflix during release week (25M views, 45M hours in 2 days) .
Criticism Heavy-handed message, clichés, uneven pacing, over-the-top twist .
Balanced reviews Henson’s emotional intensity shines, but the execution may be too overt .

🎬 Key Quotes

  • “She’s just trying to survive… I’m at my last straw” (Tyler Perry on Janiyah’s breaking point) .

  • Reviews note: “Taraji P. Henson delivers an acting masterclass,” even if “stream of bad writing and heavy‑handed messaging” remains .

Straw Trailer 2025 | Netflix | Tyler Perry | Taraji P Henson | Straw Tyler  Perry Trailer | June 6 - YouTube


📌 Final Thoughts

Straw is an emotionally charged, provocative thriller that confronts poverty, grief, and systemic injustice head-on. It features a standout performance from Taraji P. Henson and is designed to spark conversations—even while some viewers may find its melodrama overwhelming. If you appreciate character-driven films with moral urgency and psychological depth, this one delivers.