In this article, Straw ending explained, Aria dies from a seizure the night before the events of the movie, but Janiyah is unable to process this loss and enters a state of psychological dissociation. She continues acting as if Aria is still alive even though she hallucinates her presence. The twist is revealed when Janiyah’s mother, Delores, calls and confirms Aria’s death, causing Janiyah to acknowledge the reality of the situation finally. It turns out, Janiyah has been hallucinating her daughter’s presence all day, lost in grief and denial.
The film stars Taraji P. Henson as Janiyah Wiltkinson, a single mother caught in a whirlwind of personal and financial crises. As her day spirals out of control, so does her grip on what’s right, what’s legal, and what’s even real. The grounded story quickly escalates into a nail-biting drama, with unexpected turns and a trail of bodies that leave viewers questioning everything.
What Pushes Janiyah To Take Over the Bank? (Straw Ending Explained)
After losing custody of her sick daughter Aria (Gabby Jackson), Janiyah’s life completely unravels. A racist cop (played by Tilky Jones) runs her off the road, seizes her car, and confiscates her expired license. She also gets fired for leaving work and returns home in the rain to find her belongings dumped on the curb by her landlord.
Desperate for her last paycheck, Janiyah goes back to her grocery store job, only to walk into an armed robbery. Held at gunpoint with her boss Richard (Glynn Truman), she fights them off and even disarms one. Dazed and panicked, she also shoots Richard during his 911 call and flees The Cheesecake Factory.
Janiyah tries to cash her bloody check at the bank across the street, but without I.D. she is rejected. At her breaking point, she sets the robber’s gun on the counter, and when the bank manager, Nicole (Sherri Shepherd), sees blinking lights from Aria’s science project in her bag, she calls in a bomb threat to the police.
How Does Janiyah’s Daughter Die?
Throughout Straw, Janiyah fights desperately to reunite with her daughter. Eves as she faces severe criminal charges, Nicole and Det. Kay Raymond (Teyana Taylor) sympathize with Janiyah’s pain. She pleads with Nicole to care for Aria and promises they will arrange for visits within the jail, not knowing Aria died from a seizure at the hospital the night before the events of the film. The twist was just as surprising to Henson as it was to her character. She recently told Decider: When I was reading it, I was like Oh S—! I was blown away!
What Took Place: Straw Ending Explained
Tension escalated outside the bank. An FBI extraction team moves in, ready to storm the building. The air is thick with chaos, and soon, tear gas is unleashed, bullets seem to be everywhere, and it feels like disaster is inevitable. In reality, Nicole calmly talks Janiyah down, and she ultimately surrenders, walking out of the bank as police surround her and Nicole. Det. Raymond immediately steps forward, positioning herself between the FBI and Janiyah. Raymond cuffs Janiyah and then breaks the tension, “It’s nice to meet you.” Janiyah turns and spots a crowd of protesters gathered outside, standing in solidarity with her and offering her support amid the pain of her ordeal.
The line between reality and hallucination blurs toward the end of the movie, but it does leave clues. There you have it, Straw ending explained. Straw is streaming now on Netflix.
