This article contains spoilers for Tyler Perry’s Straw, which is now available to watch on Netflix.Tyler Perry is a prolific filmmaker, though his movies aren’t always acclaimed. Since his directorial debut with Madea’s Family Reunion in 2006, Perry has directed over 20 films. The most recent тιтle in his catalog is Straw, a rare psychological drama from the director, whose work usually slants towards comedy. Though it features a well-reviewed leading performance from Taraji P. Henson, Straw is getting mixed reviews thus far, holding only a 47% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. ScreenRant‘s Grant Hermanns gave the film 4 out of 10 stars, taking issue with its “increasingly downtrodden story.”

Despite the negative feedback from many critics, Straw has already become an audience favorite. The movie came in at no. 1 on the Netflix global charts during its first week of release, rising to the top in several countries. Straw also earned a better reception from audiences, who gave the movie a 73% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes. Clearly, there are redeeming qualities that still make Straw a good watch despite the poor reviews, and that will likely be why the movie will continue to pull in viewers going forward.

I Liked Straw Despite Its Bad Rotten Tomatoes Score

Straw Had Redeeming Qualities

Straw‘s Rotten Tomatoes score could fool a lot of people into thinking it is just another mediocre Tyler Perry movie, but this is far from the case. Despite all the flack it has received, I found Straw to be supremely entertaining. Though it has incredibly dark subject material, the movie keeps things moving, maintaining an impressive energy as it straddles intense personal drama with a thriller plot. At the same time, it disrupts notions of what usually makes up a bank robbery story, making for an interesting time.

Likely a driver of its strong audience response, Straw also has one of the biggest twists of any film so far this year. Janiyah (Henson) spent the movie motivated by protecting her young daughter, who has health issues. As the movie gains momentum in its third act, we come to find out that her daughter actually died the night before the film takes place, and Janiyah had been imagining her in her altered psychological state. This makes for an interesting reinterpretation of the movie most of the way in, helping to greatly expand Janiyah’s character.

Taraji P. Henson’s Performance In Straw Is Excellent

She Is At Her Best

Another element of Straw that I appreciated was the leading performance from Henson. She is tasked with carrying this film, as it relies on her to sell the sheer horror of the experience and maintain an intense atтιтude. Henson steps up to the challenge here, delivering a performance that is truly stirring. Perry’s direction can in part be credited for just how strong this performance is, and he likely helped make sure it maintained this heightened intensity. However it came to be, it was a career-best moment for Henson, which was great to witness.

Straw’s Story Is Gripping & Topical, Even Without The Big Twist

It Touches On Important Themes

Of course, Straw‘s most talked-about element is still its big twist. Even before that moment, though, I was sucked in. Janiyah’s character is compelling in that her experience touches on some highly topical themes. As Janiyah proceeds through her extremely difficult two days, systems continuously fail her. She faces challenges presented by her boss, her landlord, the police, and more. In a fractured political climate, these themes are particularly poignant.

I will admit that Perry does not always weave these ideas in as seamlessly as he could. A conversation in the second act is notably overly blunt, as the film opts to speak many of its main themes out loud. However, I do appreciate Perry’s ambition in including all of these themes — from finances to healthcare inequity — in order to create in Straw a film that is more thematically rich than your typical thriller.