Netflix And Chill: Straw (2025)

Taraji P. Henson is someone I really like. She's a fantastic acting talent, and I keep wishing that she would get more roles fully deserving of her talent. I decided to be optimistic when I saw Straw being advertised. Written and directed by Tyler Perry, it looked to be a film in need of the right person strong enough to carry the weight of it all on their shoulders. Henson is able to carry that weight, but it's not easy when Perry continues to add to her load.

Henson plays Janiyah Wiltkinson, a single mother having a really bad day. She's struggling to pay the bills, including her rent, struggling to maintain a decent quality of life for her sick daughter (who needs medication for a condition that leads to her having seizures), and struggling to keep hold of her job, where she's ruled over by a tyrannical asshole named Richard (Glynn Turman). Things go from bad to worse when Janiyah tries to get her latest paycheck from her boss, one that she needs to cash immediately at a local bank, and it's not long until police are involved when people mistakenly assume that Janiyah has plans to rob the bank.

Whatever you think of his films, and I've not been the biggest fan of the few that I've seen, it's hard not to admire the massive success that Tyler Perry has had. He makes films for a large audience of people who have largely been ill-served by the mainstream movie business, and he knows the details and specific cultural touches that will resonate with black American viewers. Others are welcome though, and there's plenty in Straw that anyone can identify with, whether it's the constant struggle to remain financially solvent or the pain that comes from working under a power-hungry little dictator. There's a hint of Falling Down about this, as well as a hint of Dog Day Afternoon, and a dash of The Negotiator, which should be a description that lets you know whether or not you will enjoy it at all. 

Henson is superb in the main role, even while asked to keep her performance at an eleven and repeat certain phrases like a mantra as her character becomes more and more bewildered by the situation she finds herself in. Sherri Shepherd lends great support in the role of Nicole, the bank manager who wants the whole situation to end peacefully for everyone involved. Teyana Taylor and Mike Merrill are a good pair of police officers, the former strongly identifying with the difficulties that Henson's character has faced, Anthony E. Williams has a small, but vital, role as a very bad police officer, and Turman spends every moment of his screentime making himself as thoroughly unpleasant as possible. There are many others in the cast (including Sinbad, Ashley Versher, Rockmond Dunbar, Diva Tyler, and Shalèt Monique), and it's also good to see that Perry can work hard to put together convincing numbers when our lead is in a busy public area or surrounded by crowds.

There are some negatives here though, and I don't want to give the impression that I loved this. I liked it, although even liking it was tricky on a few occasions. It's hard to watch something that is so unrelentingly overwrought for most of the runtime, and it's hard to accept an important plot point that is highlighted towards the end of the film in a way that makes you realise that Perry has been slightly cheating us. As much as I knew how things would turn out by the very end of the film, one bit of deliberate obfuscation was sorely disappointing for how much it felt like what it was: an easy way to add emotional weight to the last act. Things also aren't helped by the fact that our lead spends so much time being unaware of how everything could be viewed by others that it makes her seem wilfully ignorant.

Still . . . it's Henson. In a lead role that at least makes some use of her formidable talent. That may not be enough to keep some viewers pleased, but I was happy enough. 

6/10

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Harryhausen-palooza.

Here are all of the reviews pulled together from my May semi-tribute to the great Ray Harryhausen.

It Came From Beneath The Sea.
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (IMDb review).
20 Million Miles To Earth.
Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers.
The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad.
The 3 Worlds Of Gulliver.
Mysterious Island.
Jason And The Argonauts.
First Men In The Moon.
One Million Years B.C.
The Valley Of Gwangi.
The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad.
Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger.
Clash Of The Titans.

This is not a complete list of Harryhausen works (I am particular annoyed that I didn't have time for The Harryhausen Chronicles, an hour long documentary included on most of the DVD releases of the above films), but it is a good selection of his most famous moments. I hope that one or two people were able to scan through my reviews and, at the very least, be reminded of one favourite moment from their childhood.

Ray Harryhausen (1920 - 2013)

I know, I know, I'm late in marking the passing of this great man.

That's because I tend not to do these things. I don't write many notices about those who have shuffled off our mortal coil and I don't ever set out to overemphasise the impact that any individuals had on my life (the last death that made me struggle to voice how influential the person had been was that of James Herbert).

This note isn't a look back at the life of Harryhausen, it's not full of facts and figures that I'd just have to look up online anyway. This is just a brief note to say that over the coming weeks I will, as tribute to the man, be revisiting and reviewing as many of his films as I can get my hands on. I'll be covering the biggies, of course - Clash Of The Titans, Jason & The Argonauts, the Sinbad movies - but I'll also be trying to cover some of his earlier works and also one or two of the movies that fired up my love for film at an early age. Mysterious Island is essential viewing, as is The Valley Of Gwangi. Both of these movies, though perhaps seen as lesser Harryhausen films, will forever hold a place in my heart. I first saw them on British TV on a dull Sunday afternoon and they have always held that association ever since. In fact, I have no doubt that when I watch these movies on any day other than a Sunday I will end up feeling both comforted and confused.

I can't write a full piece about the man who made these monsters. I didn't know him, I've not read up about him, I wasn't even aware of his name when I first encountered his creations. But I can write reviews of those movies that livened up my childhood, especially now that I DO know the name of the man responsible for the harpies, the fighting skeletons, that moving statue of Talos and much, much more.

Feel free to reply with your own thoughts on each movie, of course, and let's spend the remainder of May reclaiming some of our childhood memories.