American filmmaker and producer Tyler Perry has lived up to what he does best by evoking the emotions of viewers with his latest Netflix drama thriller, Straw.
Starring award-winning Taraji P Henson who plays Janiyah Wiltkinson, the film follows the life of a struggling single black mother who fails to make ends meet to take care of her ill daughter and fights to navigate her daily challenges.
She ends up at a bank in what becomes a big misunderstanding, where everyone is convinced that she is trying to rob it, while she is just trying to cash her pay check for her daughter’s lunch.
The movie takes a psychological twist which shows that in fact, Janiyah’s daughter already passed on the night before she found herself having an awful day.
The last time the two collaborated on a thought-provoking film was with the 2018 blockbuster Acrimony, which sparked various debates about love, loyalty, and patience.
His latest offering, Straw reached number one ratings since its official debut on the 6th of June, making it one of his best-received movies on Netflix.
Viewers gathered on X to share their emotional experience after watching the film.
@Nyeleti0606 wrote “Straw on Netflix is proof that most people’s mental health issues stem from not being able to fend for themselves. I loathe poverty so much.”
Another user @omariwolfe shared his movie takeaway by commenting “Straw on Netflix is the exact reason why I’m kind to everyone because you never know what a person is going through behind closed doors.”
Others went on to praise and congratulate the cast on a spectacular performance.
There are however some critics, who are calling on Perry to adjust his narrative especially when telling stories of black women.
The subject has fans divided on whether highlighting the so-called challenges and harsh realities of black women does anything to encourage society to protect and care for them.
Despite this, Perry expressed his humble gratitude to his fans via an Instagram post, thanking everyone who watched the film.
