(Credit: Netflix)

Netflix knows how to tug at heartstrings from time to time. And with the help of Tyler Perry’s Straw, it surely sent viewers on a rollercoaster ride. Starring Taraji P Henson as Janiyah Wiltkinson, the psychological crime drama has already become the talk of the streaming town. The film depicts a series of unfortunate events that push Janiyah onto an unexpected path, leaving her in a situation unimaginable in the wildest of dreams. But most importantly, Straw reminds the world why it’s important to be kind.

“Straw is about a woman who reaches her tipping point,” Henson tells Tudum. But Perry, he does more than merely narrate a tale of tragedy. Janiyah’s story in Straw begins on a note of discord with the unintended killing of her boss, and ends with another, a bank held hostage. The Netflix film introduces Janiyah as someone who does whatever it takes to ensure a better life for her daughter. It isn’t easy, especially as a single Black mother.

When the sequence of unfortunate events succeeds each other, it feels like the universe is probably conspiring against Janiyah. First, she loses her job, and then she loses custody of her daughter. But the very thing that keeps her going is taken away one by one, leading her towards a path of uncertainty. From the get-go of Straw, one thing is clear: nobody really understands Janiyah. Although her struggles are highlighted to the viewers, those in her proximity remain oblivious to her unseen hardships.

When you take Janiyah out of Straw’s context and place her in any habitable society, you might be able to see a thousand others. By allowing viewers an aerial point of view in the film, Perry urges them to choose kindness. Whether one sees it or not, everyone is carrying their fair share of baggage. And if one act of kindness can turn someone’s life for the better, why not be that person?

Throughout the story, Janiyah encounters people who have never lived her life for a day. But when she holds the bank hostage, hoping to encash the paycheck and be there for her daughter, two women see more to her story than what’s revealed. The two women are Detective Kay Raymond and the bank manager, Nicole. Although Straw shows the consequences of a lack of understanding, it also shows a world of contrast through these two characters.

Straw unravels the dichotomy of hierarchy by projecting a leader who hears people beyond their societal position. The projection becomes more obvious when she is put on a pedestal against the cop Janiyah encounters at the beginning. It highlights the importance of support and what its absence can make people do. Perry meticulously utilises Raymond as a counterpart of Janiyah, who finds more in common with her than she naturally expected.  

Unlike others who draw conclusions about Janiyah’s case based on her recent actions, Raymond represents a more humane side. On the contrary, Nicole, who herself is trapped in a hostage situation, relates to Janiyah. When she begs her to take care of Aria when she is imprisoned, Nicole’s show of support becomes elemental in the progression of Straw. Although we know it was all for nothing, Straw actually takes a stand for many things.

Nicole was the one who pulled Janiyah back from the ledge. And Raymond put herself between Janiyah and the FBI. But it’s not just their kindness that helps Janiyah see another light of day. It’s forgiveness and empathy, even in knowing nothing about the mother. “The movie represents three different types of Black women, who are all the same Black woman, who are all different walks of life, different stages of success, but can all empathise with each other,” Perry said.