Tyler Perry's 'Straw' Defies His Recent Projects, Offering Viewers An Actually Digestible Plot
Let's break down my thoughts on the new thriller from one of Black Hollywood's most controversial "creatives"
Hello,
Welcome back to my newsletter — my safe space to talk about all the things on my mind in entertainment and pop culture. As many of you know, I’ve started a new position at PEOPLE Magazine and have been there for six months. Being at one of my dream publications has caused me to rethink my approach to The Diamond Report.
While the structure may change, the premise remains the same. Please enjoy the first edition of The Diamond Report: Scene & Heard, which will house all of my thoughts on the latest movies gracing both the big and small screens.
After suffering through Tyler Perry’s Mea Culpa and Divorce in the Black within months of each other and enduring years of unnecessary trauma, it is safe to say that if Mr. Perry and I somehow entered the rap battle of the century, I would be the Kendrick Lamar to his Drake. If we are truly talking about someone on their last straw (pun very much intended) with someone or something, then that is absolutely 100 percent me with one of Black Hollywood’s most controversial “creatives.”
Since the release of those movies, I have put my foot down and declared that enough was enough. I swore off watching any more of Perry’s rushed projects, refusing to let another trailer pull me in and fill me with any hope.
With that being said, many of you may be wondering what persuaded me to actually watch his new thriller Straw? Was it the fact that he boasted about completing it in four days? Or, could it possibly be that I knew legendary actress Taraji P. Henson was at the helm of the movie? Maybe it was because of all of the rave reviews the movie has been getting?
If you guessed any of those, then you are incorrect. I actually decided to watch the movie during one of my many Lamar-like moments. As I sat in ESSENCE’s Brooklyn office for a media event pleading with my fellow Black journalists to allow me to help them remove the Perry-sized boot from their necks — you know as one charged with saving their community would do — I thought to myself: Is there a better way to start the revolution and free my people?
That thought coupled with an Instagram poll where my followers unanimously voted that they wanted me to share my candid thoughts on the movie brought us here to the first edition of The Diamond Report: Scene & Heard, my personal hub to house all of my thoughts on the latest releases on the big and small screens.
So without further ado, here’s my honest, unfiltered and unbiased opinion on Straw.
The following story will contain spoilers for Tyler Perry’s Straw.
The Synopsis
Perry’s latest project Straw follows Taraji P. Henson’s Janiyah Wiltkinson who’s experiencing one of the worst days of her life. It’s one thing after another, and within a few hours she loses her job, her child and her home. After a run-in with a rude, presumably racist, white cop, she decides to go to her equally nasty Black manager, portrayed by Glynn Turman, and demand her last paycheck. Her sole purpose and motivation being to get $40 out of her bank account to pay her daughter’s school lunch fee.
That decision ultimately brings her down an even worse path, one that she cannot come back from. As armed robbers confront the two of them in the back office, Wiltkinson ends up shooting and killing one of them, as well as her manager.
In a daze, she grabs her check and goes to the bank that’s conveniently located across the street. Although it’s closed, the bank manager Nicole, played by Sherri Shepherd, allows her (and the clearly crumpled, bloody check) to come inside, making her the last customer of the day… well, at least until they needed hostages because then suddenly about 5 elderly people appeared to be waiting in line. But, I digress.
When Wiltkinson presents the check to the teller, Ashley Versher’s Tessa, she is told she cannot cash it because she doesn’t have her ID. This denial was her final straw, causing her to bring out the gun from earlier and unintentionally start a bank robbery.
The rest of the movie shows Teyana Taylor’s Detective Raymond trying to piece together who Wiltkinson is, what lead her to that point and de-escalate the intense situation without anyone getting hurt. She ultimately connects with Wiltkinson, despite all of the men on the force denying that she could do her job. She helps bring some sort of justice to Wiltkinson, while getting her and every “hostage” out of the bank safely and unharmed (maybe… the ending is a little up in the air, but more on that later).
Unpacking the Good & the Bad
There’s a lot to unpack with this movie — not all of it bad and not all of it good. The main idea that I pulled from it is the importance of mental health and having a support system, especially as a single mother. Life can come at you from all angles. I can safely assume that everyone reading this has been at a point in life where if one more thing happens to them, they’ll snap.
It is my assumption that Perry used this movie to open up the conversation on mental health in the Black community. Despite some of the weird parts in the movie, that was the main theme Perry was trying to depict. He was trying to answer the question: What happens when you push someone to their breaking point?
Henson did a magnificent job showcasing the reality of someone on their last straw. I think she brought Wiltkinson, who could have easily been a one-dimensional character, to life.
However, where I believe Henson shined and was the saving grace of the movie, I cannot say the same for her supporting cast. Between Shepherd’s flip-floppy impression of a frightened woman and Taylor’s portrayal of a hardcore detective with a heart, the acting from the supporting cast aligned with the typical Perry-style, Tubi-level acting that’s seen in most of his work.
The one thing I’m unsure about is whether to blame their acting on them or on the poor development of their characters. For example, Detective Raymond’s backstory was just thrown in as monologue toward the end instead of being fully embedded in her character and intentionally weaved into the story. And for Nicole, she kept flip-flopping between being scared and feeling safe, and to be honest, I don’t think she added much to the plot. I also don’t think that back-and-forth behavior from Nicole made it hard for me to believe they developed a deep enough sisterhood for the ending of the movie to hit as hard as it should have.
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While we’re on the topic of the ending, I must say that I am not a fan of Perry’s lack of commitment. For example, in his BET show Sistas, it was revealed (about what seems like 15 seasons ago at this point) that one of the ladies, Ebony Obsidian’s Karen, was pregnant. The question for that season, to no one’s surprise, was who the father was. Being that she slept with two men within the given timeframe, it could have been either person. Instead of landing on one father and moving forward, Perry decided to grant her with this rare situation: carrying twins with two separate fathers.
That’s the same indecision I see with this movie’s ending. I’ve seen the think pieces from people who say that either the first or the second outcome was just Wiltkinson disassociating from reality. And the ones that say Perry was just leaving it open to the audience’s interpretation. But, in my honest opinion, I believe Perry simple couldn’t decide what he wanted to do. So, in his usual fashion, he chose to do both.
My Overall Thoughts
I can admit that Straw wasn’t the worst thing I’ve watched. Unlike many of his other projects, the movie has a solid plot and goal: open up the conversation surrounding mental health in the Black community.
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I believe he accomplished his goal as many single mothers, Black women and people in general resonated with the feeling of being on their last straw and felt seen in the movie. I’ll give him a little bit of credit for that because I left the movie with something other than the feeling of complete annoyance. I was able to sit, think and form a cohesive thought about what I witnessed. And, that is something that I haven’t been able to do for most of his recent work.
Will this turn me into someone who anticipates the next Perry-flick? Absolutely not. Will I stop being the Kendrick Lamar to his Drake? Nope. But, I will give him a little credit (not too much) for Straw because it had a purpose, only a few continuity mistakes, a decent storyline and found perfect casting with Taraji P. Henson.
Rating: 💎💎💎/ 5
Other Tyler Perry Thoughts
I’ve talked about this before, but I am happy to reiterate it again for those who’ve never heard it. I need us to separate Tyler Perry “The Creative” from Tyler Perry “The Businessman.”
Whenever I have this conversation with people, they give me reasons to support “The Business Man,” who I currently don’t have any issue with. Perry is a self-made billionaire, who pursued his dreams, monetized his craft and became a household name. In addition, he has constantly created spaces for Black actors and actresses to work and pays them what they are worth. He also owns a very large studio in Atlanta. There’s no denying that he has a knack for business and is a successful person; however, his choices as “The Creative” are the sole sources of my problems.
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Fact cannot be disputed. Perry has helped out the careers of many Black actors and actresses, giving them a platform to show what they can do. He’s changed lives with his shows and movies, from the people who finally broke through the many “nos” that they’ve heard in the industry to those at home watching, laughing and connecting on something he’s created.
I don’t know about his claim that he’s made the most Black millionaires, but I agree that he is a force in the industry, providing a space for Black creatives to do something that they love in a space with very few opportunities. I agree that he has an audience that’s tuned into his work and may even see themselves in some of his projects.
And, while all of that may be true, it’s still safe to say that someone with all that he has — from his decades-long experience to his huge studio in Atlanta — should be doing better. Shooting a film in a few days is not something to brag about when the “finished” project suffers from a terrible script, poor continuity, and laughable production.
Many confuse that statement to mean that I want Perry to switch to solely making serious films or shows that uplift the Black consciousness or elevate the community’s way of thinking. That is not the case. My request is intentionality. Do I believe the ideas are there? Absolutely. Do I think he aims to speak to an audience that is underrepresented? For sure.
But, I raise these questions and leave you all to think about this: What’s the purpose of representing a group of people, who are already painted in a negative light and are fighting a losing battle in the media, without doing the story that you decide to tell justice? What’s the point of creating something that will do more harm than good because it lacks thought and plays into the negative stereotypes that already exist?
And, most importantly, why are we, as a people, comfortable accepting and supporting this mediocrity when we have so many other creatives making full, authentic and inclusive Black stories in every genre, from comedy to horror, that we can support and rally behind?
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Yes! Yes! And Yes! I totally agree with your sentiments and ALL the points you made. Unfortunately until he gives opportunities to/supports other film makers by executive producing and stepping away from writing, directing etc. I will not be watching any of his work. The lack of intentionality at this point in his career is inexcusable and shows no growth. I’m of the opinion that he should and can do better. I will continue not to watch I’m willing to wait🤷🏽♀️
I’m happy you were able to find some positivity in the film and I respect your critiques. Let’s hope he keeps getting better moving forward.