Entertainment
STRAW! A Review
5 OUT OF 5 STARS đđđđđ
(ATLANTA – July 20, 2025) – Since Roots, we haven’t witnessed such flawless casting in an American filmâuntil Straw. Tyler Perryâs 2025 drama delivers a masterclass in character-driven storytelling, led by the incomparable Taraji P. Henson.
Hensonâs portrayal of Janiyah Watkinson is nothing short of perfection. She is the emotional anchor of the filmâgrounded, powerful, and unnervingly real. Her performance leaves viewers deep in discussion, grappling with questions the film leaves deliberately unresolved. Chief among them: Is Aria, Janiyahâs daughter, actually alive? Or is she a figment of Janiyahâs troubled mind? The ambiguity surrounding Ariaâs presence elevates Straw beyond typical moviegoing fareâit becomes a conversation.
The filmâs structure is poetic. The final scene mirrors the opening, both featuring Janiyah and Aria in bed. This cyclical storytelling, reminiscent of Tupacâs approach to narrative symmetry, keeps the focus razor-sharp and the audience engaged.
Every performance in Straw holds weight. Sherri Shepherd, playing Nicole Parker, the poised and complex bank manager, delivers a career-defining performance. Her scenes arenât flashy, but they carry immense dramatic weight and intrigue. I often catch Shepherd on her talk show, âSherri,â yet I didnât even recognize her until the end of her arc. Thatâs how deeply she disappeared into this role.
Teyana Taylor as Detective Kay Raymond is another standout. In one of the filmâs most surprising and entertaining scenes, she lands a clean left hook on a fellow officer who had harassed Janiyah earlierâboth cathartic and unforgettable. Taylorâs commanding presence proves Straw is not playing around.
Critics may claim Tyler Perryâs films tend to follow a familiar formula, but Straw breaks the mold. This is no comedy. Itâs a tightly woven psychological dramaâfree from sex scenes, overused gunplay, gratuitous violence, or flashy car chases. Perry strips it down to raw emotion, taut dialogue, and deeply human performances.
And the cast? Untouchable.
Henson. Shepherd. Taylor. Every actor was perfectly selected. Itâs rare to see such cohesion and excellence in a single ensemble. I hadnât seen “Detective Raymond” since Teyanaâs 2018 collaboration with Ghostface Killah sampling The Delfonicsâ 1968 classic âFor the Love I Give to You,â but sheâs come back swingingâliterally.
Straw deserves every major award and accolade coming its way. Itâs already the best film of 2025 in my eyes. A triumph in storytelling, casting, and restraint.
This oneâs a masterpiece.
STRâïžW = STARS.
(PHILADELPHIA â August 10, 2025) â In October 2022, BlackUSA.News sat down with comedian and filmmaker Dannon Green to talk about his powerful documentary The Executioners: We All Had A Chance. Now, the award-winning film is streaming on Tubi, bringing the untold story of one of Philadelphiaâs greatest amateur boxing teams to audiences worldwide.
The documentary is the first ever to focus on a boxing team rather than an individual fighter. It tells the true story of two men â Frank Taylor and the late Marvin âToochieâ Gordon â who opened a boxing gym in early 1970s West Philadelphia to give neighborhood kids an alternative to joining street gangs. Located at 60th and Vine Streets, the gym became a safe haven in a city where gang violence was rampant.
âThese men gave us safe passage,â Taylor recalls in the film. âIf you were an Executioner, you could walk through dangerous neighborhoods without trouble â because everyone respected what we stood for.â
The gym produced an extraordinary roster of young fighters, including future legends like Bernard Hopkins, Mark Breland, Buddy McGirt, Sam Watson, and Shann Mosley. But for Green, who joined the Executioners at just 14 years old, the story was always about more than boxing.
âPeople donât understand what the gym did for us as young kids,â Green said. âIn my short two years there, it carried on for my whole life. If I didnât have this, I donât know where I wouldâve been.â
Now based in Los Angeles, Green is an acclaimed filmmaker â but The Executioners is his most personal work yet. Through rare footage, heartfelt interviews, and gritty archival material, the documentary captures the triumphs and tragedies of a brotherhood forged in the ring.
âThis is where it started,â Green says in the film. âWhat we learned there was enough for us to move in a different direction. And I hope it inspires kids today to see that thereâs always another path.â
The Executioners: We All Had A Chance is now available to stream free on Tubi in English with subtitles.
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