A single bad day turns seismic in Straw, a Tyler Perry film that trades his usual humor for nerve-tight realism. Taraji P. Henson leads as a hardworking single mother whose ordinary setbacks spiral into a crisis with life-altering consequences. She’s joined by Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor, Glynn Turman, Rockmond Dunbar, and Sinbad in a small but emotional comeback role. This psychological drama on Netflix stares straight into the systems that break people before anyone notices. The trailer is at the end of the article.
Perry shoots Atlanta like a pressure cooker — fluorescent offices, long corridors, and the soft hum of despair. Each scene builds pressure quietly, through bureaucracy, exhaustion, and choices that no longer feel like choices. Henson’s performance is raw and lived-in, carrying the film with the weary grace of someone who’s been told to “be strong” one too many times.
Straw feels stripped-down and deeply human. Perry avoids melodrama, choosing long takes and unspoken tension over dialogue. The result is a film about survival and dignity, about what happens when the world stops listening. Shepherd brings grounded empathy, Taylor adds grit as a detective, and Turman and Dunbar deepen the emotional web with quiet authority.
You may also like ►Tyler Perry’s new movie stirs buzz, and its biblical twist might shock you
Critics have called Straw Perry’s boldest work yet — a stripped and serious pivot that draws from real social realities. Viewers, too, have connected to its moral complexity and slow-burning suspense. It’s a story of endurance that leaves you wondering how many invisible fights happen every day around us. On IMDb, the film currently sits around 6.6/10 from tens of thousands of user ratings, reflecting steady audience approval. On Rotten Tomatoes, the Tomatometer has hovered near 50% while the audience score trends in the mid-to-high 70s, underscoring a clear critic–viewer split. Top-critic blurbs frequently single out Taraji P. Henson’s performance even in mixed notices. And regardless of scores, the movie turned into a bona fide Netflix hit, drawing roughly 49 million views in its second week on the platform.
Straw – All the Key Details
- Original title: Straw
- Genre: Psychological drama, thriller
- Country of production: USA
- Year of release: 2025
- Directed by: Tyler Perry
- Main cast: Taraji P. Henson, Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor, Glynn Turman, Rockmond Dunbar, Sinbad
- Produced by: Tyler Perry Studios, Netflix
- Release date on Netflix: June 6, 2025
► WATCH ON NETFLIX: Official page
In the meantime, enjoy the trailer below.
A stark, human thriller that chills like cold air after sunset, Straw leaves its mark quietly — like a bruise that doesn’t fade. For more tense, character-driven stories, explore our pick of psychological thrillers on Netflix.
