Warning: Major spoilers for StrawTaraji P. Henson addresses the surprise daughter twist in Tyler Perry’s Straw. Written and directed by Perry, Netflix’s new psychological crime drama stars Henson as Janiyah, a single mother caring for her chronically ill daughter, Aria (Gabby Jackson), who must deal with a series of unfortunate events that cause her to come into conflict with the law. Straw‘s ending reveals that Aria actually pᴀssed away the night before, and a flashback shows that Janiyah had only been hallucinating her presence the entire day.
In an interview with Decider, Henson addressed Straw‘s daughter twist, saying she was genuinely surprised by it when first reading the script. She went on to say that her daughter’s death explains Janiyah’s detached behavior, showing she had mentally “snapped” the day before and was functioning on autopilot in denial. Read her full comments below:
I wasn’t either! When I was reading it, I was like, “Oh! sнιт!” Reading the script, I was blown away. But then it made sense, in her actions. Because what it showed me was that she snapped a long time ago. She snapped the day before. She was just on automatic. She wasn’t even in her body, to be quite honest. I just played the honesty of her living the life, as if nothing happened.
Asked if her character was ever supposed to die at the end of Straw, Henson explained that originally she was, but Perry changed it to spare both the character and the audience from a devastating ending:
It was. Then [Perry] said, “I can’t do that to her, and the audience, because this will just kill them.” So that’s why he ended it the way he did, which I thought was great.
What Taraji P. Henson’s Comments Mean For Straw’s Daughter Twist
She Explains Why It Makes Sense
Straw‘s daughter twist reframes the entire movie’s narrative, leading into a major flashback sequence that reveals Aria, who appeared early on, was merely a figment of Janiyah’s imagination. This revelation recontextualizes many earlier scenes, revealing that Janiyah’s psychological breakdown is far more unsettling than it initially appeared. Rather than just experiencing a single bad day, Janiyah was already teetering on the edge of madness, burdened by the immense weight of her grief.
Straw reviews have criticized Perry’s poor writing, including some criticism aimed at whether the daughter twist feels somewhat extraneous to the film’s overall themes. However, Henson explains why the twist makes sense, saying that it shows how “she snapped a long time ago.” The twist clarifies Janiyah’s behavior, showing that she had already been mentally broken, operating on autopilot, and detached from reality. Henson approached the role by emphasizing Janiyah’s denial and numbness, living as though nothing had happened.
Our Take On Straw’s Daughter Twist
It Ensures Sympathy For Janiyah
Ultimately, the daughter twist transforms Straw from a typical crime drama into a more devastating portrait of grief and psychological collapse. By revealing that Janiyah’s desperate actions were driven by unbearable loss, Perry ensures that audiences view her not as a cold-blooded criminal, but as a shattered mother grasping at sanity. It’s not about excusing her crimes, but understanding them. The emotional weight of Aria’s death makes Janiyah’s breakdown tragically inevitable, and makes sympathy for her feel heartbreakingly genuine.
Source: Decider
