It's always interesting when I find myself disagreeing with a critics' consensus, and that's happened with Netflix's most-watched movie this week: Straw.
As I finished watching Straw, I realized that while it won't be going on TechRadar's best Netflix movies list, it's still something that I recommend.
Straw is the latest movie from Tyler Perry, whose Prime Video movie Duplicity bombed and received an audience score of 26%. So already, this new movie is a step up from that. Despite Perry's previous titles, I feel like Straw has been unfairly criticized.
The new Netflix movie follows Janiyah, a single mother, as we follow her on what the synopsis dubs as "the worst day of her life". Sure enough, things go from bad to worse while she desperately tries to provide for her sick daughter.
Why I recommend Tyler Perry's Straw
The main reason I'm recommending this movie is because of Taraji P. Henson's performance. While Straw might not be a masterpiece in terms of cinematography or editing, the emotionally driven work of Henson shouldn't be missed.
Throughout the movie, we watch Janiyah as she tries to keep it together. She works a minimum wage job as a cashier in a grocery store, where customers are rude to her and her boss isn't much better. She's behind on rent, her daughter's school have concerns, and she's at breaking point.
With no one else to rely on, Janiyah is trying to do all this herself and I was so impressed by how real the performance feels. It's a reminder that there's so many people just like Janiyah who are just doing their best even when it feels like the odds are stacked against them.
Yes, the movie is very bleak and often difficult to watch, but I do think it's the kind of story that will open a lot of important conversations. We don't have to rely on high octane car chases or fights for some thrills here, and the way the tension builds throughout will have you seriously worried about Janiyah.
Henson is at her best at the most intense part of the movie where her character ends up holding a bank teller at gunpoint, trying desperately to get her paycheck so she can keep a roof over her and her daughter's heads. It's equal parts sad and compelling.
Like many of Perry's movies, there is a twist in the tale and while it will likely divide fans, I was satisfied by how it ended. I'd be very interested to know what others think too. Let me know in the comments below.
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