Review: Tyler Perry’s Straw — Black Motherhood, Mental Health, and the Truths We Still Don’t Want to Hear

Tyler Perry’s Straw tackles Black motherhood and mental health with a rare honesty, anchored by powerhouse performances from Taraji P. Henson, Sherri Shepherd, and Teyana Taylor. This isn’t the usual Perry melodrama—Straw digs deeper, asking what happens when strength isn’t enough and sisterhood becomes survival.

Written By Tanika Jones // EEW Magazine Online

Taraji P. Henson is powerful as Janiyah in Tyler Perry’s Straw. (Credit: Chip Bergmann/Perry Well Films 2, Netflix)

Whenever Tyler Perry drops a new movie, the internet lights up. Some folks rush to praise his work for centering Black voices in Hollywood, while others side-eye his choices, especially when it comes to how Black women are written and portrayed.

As a Black woman raised on a steady stream of Perry’s films and stage plays, I’ll be honest—I hit play on Straw with one eyebrow raised. Part of me wanted to be hopeful; the other part was prepared to just tick off my assignment for EEW Magazine Online and move on if it missed the mark.

But Straw, now streaming on Netflix, isn’t just another formulaic Perry melodrama. This time, he hands the mic to Janiyah Wiltkinson, played by Taraji P. Henson, with a rawness and honesty that cuts deep. Janiyah is a single mother drowning in bills, expectations, and the silent battles nobody else seems to see. If you’re a Black woman, or even adjacent to our experiences, you know this story isn’t just fiction; it’s everyday life.

Mental Health: Beyond the “Strong Black Woman” Mask

We need to talk about how Straw handles mental health. For too long, Black women have been forced to swallow our pain and wear the “strong Black woman” cape like it’s stitched into our skin. Perry’s film doesn’t just nod to this reality; it lingers in it. Janiyah’s unraveling is uncomfortable to watch—because it’s not just hers. It’s your mother, your sister, your best friend, maybe even you. Henson’s performance makes it impossible to look away. She gives us the ugly cry, the silent rage, the numbness. She lets the cracks show.

Who Listens When Black Women Speak?

There’s a running ache in Straw: Janiyah keeps reaching out, keeps trying to be heard, and the world just shrugs. If you’ve ever tried to get help and been brushed off for being “too dramatic” or “angry,” this film will hit a nerve. Perry’s script doesn’t always trust the audience to get the message—he can still be heavy-handed—but the point lands: Black women’s pain is too often ignored. The silence is deadly.

Credit: Chip Bergmann/Perry Well Films 2, Netflix

Sisterhood Isn’t Just a Buzzword

What saves Janiyah isn’t a man riding in on a white horse. It’s her community. Sherri Shepherd’s Nicole, the no-nonsense bank manager who’s seen it all, and Teyana Taylor’s Detective Kay Raymond, who brings her own brand of tough love, remind us that sometimes, the village is made up of the women who know your story without you having to explain. Their performances are a highlight, grounding the film in a kind of everyday heroism that feels earned, not forced.

Let’s Talk Performances

Taraji P. Henson is the engine of this movie. She gives Janiyah layers—fear, pride, exhaustion, hope—and never lets us forget what’s at stake. Shepherd’s Nicole is the friend everyone needs: honest, relentless, and loving, even when you’re at your worst. Taylor brings an edge to Detective Raymond that’s both protective and vulnerable. These women don’t just carry the film, they elevate it.

Tyler Perry: Flawed Messenger, Necessary Stories

Look, Tyler Perry deserves criticism. He’s made a fortune off tropes that haven’t always done Black women justice. But with Straw, it feels like he’s listening, or at least trying to. The script still has Perry-isms—some melodrama, a few on-the-nose speeches—but this time around, the story feels rooted in something real. Maybe it’s the cast, maybe it’s the times, or maybe Perry is being more careful about portraying Black women as full, complicated people, not just plot devices.

Final Thoughts

Straw isn’t perfect. But it’s honest. It’s messy. It’s ours. If you’re looking for a film that doesn’t just ask you to watch, but to feel, to reflect, and maybe even to check in on the women in your life, add it to your queue. Perry’s critics (myself included) might not be fully converted, but this one deserves to be part of the conversation.

Straw is streaming now on Netflix. Call your mama after you watch.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

Straw is currently streaming on Netflix. Run time: 2 hours, 7 minutes.

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