Straw (2025)
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A struggling single mother's desperate actions lead her into a tense standoff during a bank robbery.
The story
Janiyah Wiltkinson is a single mother living in a dilapidated apartment with her frequently ill daughter, Aria. After facing a series of hardships, including a hostile workplace and a confrontation with local authorities, Janiyah finds herself in a desperate situation. When she is forced into a violent confrontation at her workplace, she takes extreme measures to protect herself and her daughter. The situation escalates when she ends up in a bank, where she is forced to take hostages during a robbery. As the police close in, Janiyah must navigate the escalating tension while trying to ensure her daughter's safety in a world that has offered her very little support.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Janiyah Wiltkinson, a single mother caring for her ill daughter Aria, faces a grueling day of hardships: a threatening landlord, a hostile boss, and a confrontation with Child Protective Services. After being fired and evicted, Janiyah confronts her boss at her former workplace, where she is forced to use a gun during a robbery, killing one assailant and her boss. She then flees to a bank to cash a check, where she is forced to take hostages after a teller refuses her ID. During the standoff, she faces a police officer who had previously harassed her. As the public begins to sympathize with her, Janiyah deals with the fear of a 'bomb' in her daughter's backpack. The climax reveals a tragic truth: Aria died the night before, and Janiyah's experiences of the day—including the school visit and the presence of her daughter—were hallucinations. Nicole, a teller who knew the truth, stayed by her side until Janiyah peacefully surrendered to Detective Raymond.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 108
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tyler Perry
- Writers
- Tyler Perry · writer
- Cast and characters
- Taraji P. Henson · Janiyah Wiltkinson; Sherri Shepherd · Nicole; Teyana Taylor · Det. Kay Raymond; Sinbad · Benny; Rockmond Dunbar · Chief Wilson; Ashley Versher · Tessa George; Mike Merrill · Det. Grimes; Glynn Turman · Richard
- Genres
- psychological crime drama; psychological thriller
- Themes
- maternal sacrifice; mental health; poverty; desperation
- Tone and mood
- tense; dramatic; somber
- Premise and plot tags
- bank robbery; hostage situation; hallucination; motherhood
- Reception
- The film received mixed or average reviews from critics.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 56 · scale: 100 · review count: 7
- Production trivia
- It is the third Tyler Perry movie to star Taraji P. Henson as the central character.; It ranked second on Netflix in the United States for two consecutive weeks in June 2025.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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