The Jaw-Dropper
Taraji P. Henson just became Tyler Perry's most unhinged protagonist yet—and the trailer for Straw is screaming Breaking Bad meets The Pursuit of Happyness… if everything went horribly, catastrophically wrong.
Netflix dropped the official preview for Perry's latest thriller, and within seconds, it's clear: this isn't Madea Goes to Jail. Henson plays a single mother whose life implodes in a single day—bank robbery, sick child, and a system that treats her like a criminal instead of a victim. The title? A brutal nod to the last straw.
Why This Changes Everything (Or Nothing)
Here's the twist: Perry, the king of melodramatic stage plays and campy comedies, just made his grittiest film yet. The trailer's tone is closer to Uncut Gems than Diary of a Mad Black Woman—no wigs, no catchphrases, just raw desperation.
But let's be real—Perry's track record with thrillers (Acrimony, A Fall from Grace) is… divisive. Fans either love the chaos or hate the logic gaps. Straw could be his Prisoners moment—or another Gone Girl wannabe.
The Hidden Story
This isn't just a thriller. It's a mirror. Henson's character isn't some criminal mastermind—she's a woman pushed to the edge by a world that refuses to catch her. Sound familiar? The film's premise echoes real-life cases like the “Affluenza Teen” or “Bank Robber Mom” headlines—stories where society villainizes desperation.
And Perry? He's been quietly shifting gears. A Jazzman's Blues was a period drama. Mea Culpa was erotic suspense. Now Straw—a survival thriller. Is this his Fincher era?
Now Pick a Side
Genius or garbage? Tyler Perry's Straw either reinvents him as a serious filmmaker—or proves he should stick to Madea.
