If you’ve spent any time on Netflix lately, you’ve probably seen the thumbnail for Straw. It’s hard to miss Taraji P. Henson’s face looking like she’s about to either burst into tears or burn the whole building down. Honestly, after watching it, it’s a bit of both. This isn't just another "Tyler Perry movie" in the way people usually use that phrase as a punchline. It’s heavy. It’s messy. And the ending has left people screaming at their TV screens for all the right—and wrong—reasons.
The new Tyler Perry movie with Taraji P. Henson feels like a fever dream that keeps escalating until it breaks. We’ve seen them work together before, from the soulful I Can Do Bad All By Myself to the legendary chaos of Acrimony. But Straw is different. It’s a psychological crime drama that basically asks: "How much can one human being take before they snap?"
Why Everyone Is Talking About the Ending of Straw
Let’s get the big elephant in the room out of the way. The twist. If you haven't seen it yet, maybe look away, but honestly, the internet has already spoiled it. Janiyah (Henson) spends the entire movie fighting for her daughter, Aria. She’s dealing with a landlord who is basically a cartoon villain, a boss who fires her for being five minutes late, and a car that gets towed by a cop who clearly has a power trip issue.
It feels like the universe is playing a sick game of "stop hitting yourself."
The climax happens in a bank. Janiyah, exhausted and accidentally holding a gun she took from a real robber, finds herself in a standoff. She’s begging the negotiators for help with her sick daughter. Then comes the phone call. Her mother, Delores, drops the bomb: Aria has been dead the whole time. She died the night before from a seizure.
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Everything we saw—the school calling, the interactions with the little girl—it was all in Janiyah’s head. She snapped before the movie even started.
Some people hate this. They think it’s a "cheap" trick. But if you look at Taraji’s performance, she plays Janiyah with this glazed-over, "automatic pilot" energy that makes total sense once you know she’s grieving a child. It’s not just a thriller; it’s a study on how the brain handles trauma when the safety net is gone.
The Powerhouse Cast Behind the Chaos
Tyler Perry didn't just stop with Taraji. He filled the screen with faces that make the bank standoff feel like a high-stakes play.
- Sherri Shepherd as Nicole: She plays the bank teller who ends up being the emotional anchor for Janiyah. It’s a side of Sherri we don't see often—quiet, empathetic, and genuinely terrified but compassionate.
- Teyana Taylor as Detective Kay Raymond: Fresh off her Golden Globe win, Teyana brings a groundedness to the "good cop" role. She’s a single mother in the film, too, which creates this unspoken bond through the glass of the bank.
- Sinbad as Benny: Seeing Sinbad back on screen is a treat, though his character is caught in the middle of Janiyah’s spiral.
- Glynn Turman as Richard: As always, Turman brings gravity to every scene he’s in, even when the script leans into Perry’s signature melodrama.
The chemistry between Taraji, Sherri, and Teyana is what keeps the movie from falling into the "misery porn" trap. You can tell these women actually like each other. There’s a scene where they talk about motherhood that feels less like a script and more like a real conversation.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Tyler Perry’s Evolution
There is a segment of the audience that loves to bash Tyler Perry for his writing style. They say it’s too "soap opera." They hate the wigs. They think the dialogue is "on the nose."
But look at the numbers. Straw hit Number 1 in over 60 countries.
Why? Because Perry understands a specific type of struggle that Hollywood usually ignores. He writes about the $40 that stands between a kid having lunch or going hungry. He writes about the indignity of being "unseen" by the system. In Straw, Janiyah literally says, "Nobody sees us." That line resonated with millions of people who feel like they’re one bad Tuesday away from a breakdown.
The new Tyler Perry movie with Taraji P. Henson marks a shift. It’s darker. The cinematography by Justyn Moro is moody and drained of color, reflecting Janiyah’s internal state. It’s a far cry from the bright, multi-cam setup of the early Madea days. Perry is leaning into the psychological thriller genre, and with Taraji as his muse, he’s finding a way to make his "social message" movies feel more visceral.
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What’s Next for the Perry-Henson Duo?
If you loved Straw, you’re probably wondering if they’re done. Short answer: No.
As of early 2026, Perry is booked solid with Netflix. We’re looking at 'Tis So Sweet, another drama where Taraji is slated to star alongside Jill Scott and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. It’s based on a true story about a bakery owner in Chicago. Plus, the rumors of an Acrimony sequel—often titled Acrimony 2: Melinda's Revenge in fan trailers—continue to swirl, though nothing is officially on the 2026 slate yet.
For now, the best way to process Straw is to watch it a second time. Knowing the twist changes how you see every single scene in that apartment. It turns a "bad day" movie into a haunting ghost story about a woman who refused to let her daughter go.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Watch:
- Look for the visual cues: Notice how the lighting changes when "Aria" is in the room versus when Janiyah is alone. The color temperature shifts slightly.
- Check out the soundtrack: Dara Taylor’s score is intentionally dissonant. It mimics the sound of a mind unraveling.
- Compare it to 'Good Deeds': Perry has mentioned that Straw is almost like an alternate reality of his movie Good Deeds. Instead of a rich man saving the struggling mom, the mom is left to save herself—and fails.
Whether you think the ending was a masterpiece or a mess, you can’t deny that Taraji P. Henson remains one of the few actresses who can carry a whole movie on her back while screaming at the world for a little bit of grace.