The plot kicks off when Brian (Madea's nephew and Joe's son, also played by Perry) and his ex-wife Debrah (Taja V. Simpson) learn that their daughter Tiffany (Diamond White) is engaged to Zavier (Xavier Smalls),

Tyler Perry's Straw, which debuted on Netflix on Friday, has left viewers reaching for the tissues, as they watch on at the heartbreaking storyline.

If Perry has something important to say -- in this case, a plea for empathy for Black women's struggles -- he should curb the quick-and-dirty filmmaking approach.

Taylor stars in Perry's 'Straw,' now streaming on NetflixNEED TO KNOWIn an interview with PEOPLE, Tyler Perry showers praise upon Teyana Taylor, who stars as Detective Kay Raymond in his new movie Straw for NetflixThe filmmaker says he was proud to see "all the levels" Taylor has hit since her breakout role in his 2011 film Madea's Big Happy FamilyTaylor has since gone on to star in numerous films including Coming 2 America (2021) and The Book of Clarence (2023)Tyler Perry is proud of how far Teyana Taylor has come in her movie career.

Tyler Perry’s Straw follows a mother pushed to the edge. Starring Taraji P. Henson, the film explores Black motherhood, mental health, and sisterhood.

Even diehard fans of the tireless Tyler Perry sometimes wish he'd slow down a bit to focus on quality over quantity. But Netflix feature "Straw" has a cultural pulse-taking urgency that lifts it above his usual run of comedies and melodramatic potboilers,

Henson, who previously worked with Perry on the 2018 film 'Acrimony,' tells PEOPLE she did not hesitate to join his new movie because she loves "a good challenge"