Tyler Perry’s Straw breaks a major viewership record on Netflix within 2 weeks of its release

Netflix has a new leader this week. It's Tyler Perry's Straw, which stars Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson, Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor, and more. While it didn't exactly fascinate the critics, as the aggregated Tomatometer score shows 50% approval. However, fans were positive about it and gave it a 72% score.

As of this writing, it has become the biggest Netflix film of this year and holds 4.9 million views on the streaming platforms. Not just that, it also has the biggest week of 2025. Now it has been in the Top 10 list for two consecutive weeks.

Taraji P. Henson has collaborated with Tyler Perry before other than appearing in Straw. She has worked in his films like Acrimony (2018), The Family That Preys (2008), I Can Do Bad All by Myself (2009), and more. After Straw, Perry's upcoming films include Madea's Destination Wedding and Joy Ridge.

What is Straw about?

Straw was released on June 6, 2025. (Image via Netflix)

Straw is about a mother who is going through some hardship in her life while also taking care of her daughter. Taraji P. Henson plays the mother, Janiyah Wiltkinson, for whom problems don't seem to have an end. Her daughter needs medical attention, but that requires money, and her boss isn't really a good guy who will help her. Instead, he scolds her.

The film's story then puts Janiyah in a position where she is deemed a robber, even though she hasn't done anything. However, she possesses a gun and has pointed it towards a teller in the bank so he can cash her paycheck real quick. And she shot a robber before this in panic.

Tyler Perry's Straw is more about depression and how it can lead to a mental breakdown. While we won't spoil it for you if you haven't watched it, don't expect things to get better in this story.

What's more on Netflix's Top 10 list now?

World War Z, Wonka, and more are on the list. (Image via Lionsgate Movies)

Other than the Tyler Perry film, Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, a documentary based on the submersible Titan, which imploded during its expedition towards the Titanic remains. The documentary holds 17.4 million views at this moment.

Gerard Butler's 2023 action thriller, Plane, is in third place with 6.3 million views. The film is about a pilot trying to save the lives of passengers on his plane. Other than him, Mike Colter, Daniella Pineda, Tony Goldwyn, and more are in the movie too. Butler recently reprised his role in How to Train Your Dragon's live-action remake too and fans are loving the way the film was recreated.

Brad Pitt's 2013 zombie apocalypse film, World War Z, is on the list too, with 3.8 million views. It was praised for being faithful to the source material. It was a commercial success and made $540 million at the global box office.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which recently saw a new contender, A Minecraft Movie, in terms of box office success, has garnered 3.7 million views in the list. Interestingly, the film has spent 22 weeks on the Netflix list.

Additionally, Wonka, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Bee Movie, and more are in the list too.