If you’re hunting for something to watch, look no further than the new Netflix psychological thriller Straw to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson, appearing in her fourth Tyler Perry film, stars as single mother Janiyah, struggling to provide for her ill daughter. The title refers to Janiyah’s “last straw” after an increasingly catastrophic day pushes the emotionally drained woman over the edge, leading her to take desperate measures.
Mental health is a prominent theme of the film and how things can spiral out of control when people don’t have the resources they need. In an interview with DECIDER, Henson spoke about her tragic character’s journey.
“She’s a woman who doesn’t feel seen. People who don’t feel seen—I try to equate them to like an animal. She’s very mousy. She doesn’t speak out for herself. But she finds herself in these horrible situations, and one thing leads to another situation that’s much worse than the first situation. As humans, we all have a breaking point. You will break if you don’t have a support system. It’s unfortunate that she had to go through all of this, in one day, to finally be seen.”
If this all sounds interesting, and you haven’t streamed the gripping drama yet, Straw is available to watch now. If you have, and are still reeling after that shocking ending, here are 7 similar movies to queue up next:
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As mentioned, this is not the first collaboration between Tyler Perry and Taraji P. Henson. Melinda Moore (Henson) meets husband Robert in college and supports the both of them for years, putting her own ambitions to the side. After being betrayed by the man she stood by unwaveringly for so long, Melinda snaps and vows to bring him and his new lover down. Of all their joint projects, Acrimony is the most similar in terms of that sweet melodrama. Speaking briefly with DECIDER on her roles with Perry, Henson said, “The first movie I did wasThe Family That Preys, and I played more of a comedic relief in that one. Then,I Can Do That All By Myself was a little more dramatic with some comedy moments. Then Acrimony was just like, “Whew!””
Ray (Sam Worthington) and Joanne (Lily Rabe) are driving home from Thanksgiving with their daughter Peri. During a rest stop break, Peri tumbles into a large construction pit and gets rushed to the emergency room. After Ray falls asleep at the hospital waiting for his daughter, he awakens to find Joanne gone, and no record of Peri ever being admitted. What ensues in a tangled mess of reality versus paranoia as Ray investigates the hospital and searches for the truth. We don’t want to give too much away, so you’ll have to watch for yourself on how Fractured relates very similarly to Straw.
Based on the IRL 1972 robbery led by John Wojtowicz, Al Pacino stars in this Academy Award winning drama as freshmen criminal Sonny attempting to rob a bank with his friends. The plan immediately goes awry and turns into a hostage situation, complicating things even more as the media and F.B.I begin to arrive. All sounding a bit akin to Janiyah’s ordeal, and also in the same vein of Straw, as the hostage holdout continues, more is revealed on the circumstances of Sonny’s life, and why exactly he’s made the choice he has.
For another stream on the desperation of a mother to protect her children, horror thriller Never Let Go is next up. Halle Berry plays “Momma” living in a reclusive cabin in the woods with her two sons. Allegedly a supernatural force known as “The Evil” rampaged the Earth, leaving them the only survivors. To protect themselves, the family must remain tethered to the house with ropes when venturing into the wilderness. When one of the boys starts to question the claims of evil spirits, everyone’s safety is in jeopardy.
Emily Benetto (Aubrey Plaza) is wracked with student debt and unable to secure a sufficient paying job– an unpaid internship offers her valuable experience though. As we’ve seen by now, desperation and financial struggles make a person do drastic things to survive, and the young woman is pulled into a credit card fraud ring, buying high dollar items on stolen cards and reselling them for profit. As you can probably gather, the scheme becomes increasingly riskier and Emily falls deeper into a world of crime she can’t escape.
Marine veteran Brian Brown-Easley (John Boyega) struggles financially and psychologically after his honorable discharge from service. With PTSD and chronic injuries, reentering civilian life proves to be near impossible. Desperate and determined to call attention to the systems that failed him, Brian takes others hostage inside a bank, leading to a tense standoff with the police. Based on a true story, Breaking comparably dives into systemic issues and what results when there are inadequate resources for those in need.
This poignant and powerful film centers on the story of Inez (Teyana Taylor) and her son. When Inez is released from a stint at Rikers Island, she reunites with her son, Terry, after kidnaping him from foster care. Spanning from the 1990s into the 2000s, the pair attempt to maintain stability while beginning a new life together against the perpetual evolvement, for better or for worse, of New York City. While not at all as action-packed as Straw, A Thousand and One is a heartbreakingly bittersweet look at motherhood, and the personal sacrifices maternal figures make attempting to raise children as best they can.
Claire Waheed is a recently graduated freelance writer currently based in Texas. She loves all things pop culture and new adventures.
