What is Tyler Perry's Straw movie about?

If you’re a man with a child and you’re choosing not to take responsibility, allow me to be honest—that’s not just neglect, it’s cruelty.

Have you seen Straw?

It’s a gut-wrenching story about a single mother who was left to navigate life alone. The man who fathered her child walked away, abandoning them both. With no support system, she had to shoulder every burden alone—raising a sick child, working multiple jobs, and sacrificing every part of herself just to keep going.

She gave everything she had. Her strength was unmatched, her resilience admirable. Yet in the end, she still lost her child.

The heartbreak? Unimaginable.

So I ask—men who walk away from their children, what do you expect to happen to the women left behind? These women, often already disadvantaged, are forced to carry a weight they didn’t create alone.

Abandonment isn’t just irresponsible—it is disgraceful, and deeply cruel.

Tyler Perry’s Straw (2025) is a Netflix psychological thriller and crime drama, written, directed, and produced by Tyler Perry, starring Taraji P. Henson as the lead .

🎬 What It’s About

Main character: Janiyah Wiltkinson (Taraji P. Henson), a hardworking single mother watching her sick daughter, Aria, struggle—burdened by medical bills, eviction threats, and job loss
One fateful day: She faces a cascade of crises—losing her job, getting evicted, and having her child hospitalized—driving her to desperation .
Bank standoff: In a tense escalation, Janiyah ends up inadvertently holding up a bank to access funds, sparking a psychological showdown involving hostages, police negotiators, and moments of brutal honesty
Psychological reveal: In a dramatic twist, it’s revealed her daughter Aria had already died before the standoff—Janiyah’s grief-fueled breakdown triggers hallucinations, highlighting her fragile mental state .

🌟 Key Themes & Motifs

Systemic pressures: The film spotlights the harsh realities many working-class single Black mothers face—poverty, job instability, healthcare struggles—culminating in a societal breaking point
Mental health and motherhood: It explores grief, trauma, and the emotional toll of motherhood, especially when supports and resources are absent .
Empathy & sisterhood: Characters like bank manager Nicole (Sherri Shepherd) and Detective Raymond (Teyana Taylor) embody empathy, community, and solidarity, offering glimpses of resilience and mutual care

🎭 Reception & Performances

Taraji P. Henson delivers a powerhouse lead performance, anchoring the story with nuance and emotional depth
Mixed reviews: While many viewers praised the raw portrayal of crisis and motherhood—Straw holds a 76% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes—some critics felt the film leaned into melodrama
Impactful storytelling: Media outlets like Essence and EEW emphasized the film’s candid exploration of Black maternal mental health and societal neglect