Aarcflick

The prolific creator's latest film is a typically melodramatic, yet powerful and relevant, depiction of the systemic miseries that drive a hapless heroine into a police standoff. Even die-hard fans of the tireless Tyler Perry sometimes wish he'd slow down a bit and focus on quality over quantity. But Netflix's "Straw" possesses a cultural urgency that elevates it above its usual repertoire of melodramatic comedies and dramas, despite its flaws. Starring Taraji P. Henson as a single mother burdened with more crises than one woman can handle in one day—resulting in a "Dog Day Afternoon"-style hostage situation—"Straw" exhibits the usual flaws of its writer-director-producer. Director: Tyler Perry Writer: Tyler Perry Stars: Taraji P. Henson, Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor It's overloaded with plot devices, histrionics, and in-your-face messages, with an overabundance of everything. Yet what breaks the camel's back for this subdued heroine ...