Netflix’s creative partnership with writer and director Tyler Perry continues to pay dividends, as the prolific filmmaker’s latest release shot to #1 on Netflix’s Top 10 Movies list after debuting on Friday. Straw is a psychological crime drama produced, written, and directed by Perry. It’s also his second film of 2025, following Duplicity on Prime Video.
What is Straw on Netflix about?
Netflix describes the movie as follows: “A single mother’s world unravels in chaos as her day goes from bad to worse to catastrophic as she struggles to care for her ill daughter. Pushed to the brink by a world that seems indifferent to her existence, she’s forced to confront impossible choices in a society that offers her no safety net.”
Taraji P. Henson stars as that single mother, Janiyah Wiltkinson, flanked by a supporting cast that includes Sherri Shepherd (Sherri), Teyana Taylor (Coming 2 America), Rockmond Dunbar (9-1-1), and Sinbad, in his first major role since suffering a stroke in 2020.
Why did the movie hit #1 on Netflix?
Seeing Straw’s lackluster 46% on Rotten Tomatoes, you might start wondering what all the fuss is about. But if you wade into the far more positive audience reviews, you’ll see a familiar refrain: Taraji P. Henson elevates an otherwise familiar genre entry.
One user says she was “phenomenal,” while another praises her “heartbreaking, unforgettable performance.” As another user puts it, “it’s Tyler Perry. You know what you are getting. But the acting, especially Taraji’s is beyond reproach.”
“Taraji is the heart and soul of this film — she carries all of the emotional weight of this woman having the most challenging moment of her life,” Perry told Tudum this month. “Taraji takes the audience through every emotion her character is having and that’s why she’s such a brilliant actor. You can’t take your eyes off her when she’s on screen.”
Straw might not win any awards or break any Netflix records, but Perry has struck a nerve with his latest movie and clearly still knows how to keep an audience entertained.
You can watch the trailer for Tyler Perry’s Straw below:
