Straw scores the biggest audience for a Netflix movie in 2025. Written, directed, and produced by Tyler Perry, the psychological thriller stars Taraji P. 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 commit unthinkable crimes. In addition to Henson in the lead role, Straw‘s cast also includes Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor, Sinbad, Rockmond Dunbar, Ashley Versher, Mike Merrill, and Glynn Turman.

Now, after releasing on June 6, Straw has scored the biggest week for a Netflix film in 2025, racking up an impressive 48.9 million views last week. This marks not only the biggest week for any Netflix film in 2025 so far, but also the best debut week for a new release this year. This week, the movie maintained its position at the top of Netflix’s English Films chart. It also ranked among the Top 10 тιтles on Netflix globally and was the third most-watched тιтle on IMDb this week.

What This Means For Straw

Tyler Perry Movies Continue To Be Popular Despite Bad Reviews

Straw is Tyler Perry’s latest movie that has been popular on streaming despite middling reviews from critics. Many of his past Netflix movies – A Fall from Grace, A Madea Homecoming, A Jazzman’s Blues, Mea Culpa, and The Six Triple Eight – were panned by critics, but were somewhat popular on the streaming service. Perry’s new movie has been more mixed, splitting critics right down the middle with a 50% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, that hasn’t stopped many people from streaming the movie.

While Straw reviews praise Taraji P. Henson’s powerful performance, they criticize Perry’s poor writing, the film’s melodramatic plot, and frustrating ending. On the other hand, audiences have been much more favorable towards Straw, indicated by its 71% score on Rotten Tomatoes and now, its streaming record. It scored the biggest week for a Netflix film in 2025, beating out past тιтles like Amy Schumer’s Kinda Pregnant, The Electric State, Fear Street: Prom Queen, and popular rom-coms like La Dolce Villa and The Life List.

Our Take On Straw’s Netflix Streaming Record

Tyler Perry Has Become A Streaming King

While Tyler Perry movies don’t release in theaters because they probably wouldn’t fare well at the box office, considering the current theatrical landscape, his movies are consistently popular on Netflix, earning him an almost “streaming king” reputation. On Netflix, his brand thrives, consistently drawing tens of millions of viewers. Perry has carved out a unique position for himself as a streaming powerhouse, proving that, for him, theatrical releases, or critical acclaim for that matter, aren’t necessary for his movies to be popular.

Source: Netflix