Tyler Perry’s latest drama, Straw, has arrived on Netflix to a wave of praise from viewers—even as critics remain largely unimpressed.
The film, which debuted on the platform last Friday, follows Janiyah Wiltkinson, a struggling single mother played by Empire star Taraji P. Henson. Faced with caring for her ill daughter while barely keeping her life together, Janiyah finds herself pushed to her limits.
“She’s just trying to survive,” Perry told Netflix’s in-house publication, Tudum. “I think a lot of people, no matter where they come from, can relate to that moment of feeling like, ‘I’m at my last straw.’”
Fans have echoed that sentiment. On X (formerly Twitter), one viewer wrote: “Currently watching Straw on Netflix, and it’s been a long time since a movie touched me this hard… it hits close to home thinking about people who are actually going through so much in life.”
Another post declared: “I don’t care what anyone says about Tyler Perry, STRAW was phenomenal!!”
Much of the praise has been directed at Henson’s intense and emotional performance. “If Taraji P. Henson don’t get a damn Oscar for this, I will raise hell,” one user exclaimed. “This girl acted her ass off… her ethic, ambition, poise, and resilience—she needs the credit she doesn’t get!”
At the time of writing, Straw holds an 80% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on viewer reactions. A critic rating has yet to be posted.
Still, critics who’ve seen the film haven’t been nearly as generous.
Andrew Lawrence of The Guardian gave Straw just two stars, calling it another missed opportunity for Henson: “Yet again, it’s Henson who delivers the powerhouse performance… It’s just a shame Perry still treats her like a speed bag.”
Lovia Gyarkye of The Hollywood Reporter called the film “reliably overwrought,” writing that long-time fans of Perry will recognise his usual formula of “caricatures and predictable plotting.”
Ty Burr, reviewing for The Washington Post, was even more cutting: “Few filmmakers portray the Black American experience with so much heart and so little finesse as Tyler Perry.”
The film also stars Sherri Shepherd and singer-turned-actress Teyana Taylor, who plays a police officer drawn into Janiyah’s spiralling world.
Straw is the first title to emerge from Perry’s ongoing first-look deal with Netflix. Under the agreement, he writes, directs, and produces original content for the streaming service.
Despite the critics’ scepticism, it’s clear the film has struck a chord with many viewers. Whether Perry’s storytelling style continues to divide opinion or not, Straw has once again ignited discussion around his work—and around the everyday struggles it portrays.
Straw is now streaming worldwide on Netflix.
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