In the heart of a city that pulses with dreams and desperation, Straw on Netflix unfolds the story of a woman whose life spirals into chaos in just one day. The 2025 psychological crime drama is the brainchild of Tyler Perry, who not only wrote and directed the film but also produced it. Featuring powerhouse performances from Taraji P. Henson, Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor, Sinbad, Rockmond Dunbar, Ashley Versher, Mike Merrill, and Glynn Turman, the movie explores systemic failures, societal pressure, and emotional unraveling—all under one stormy sky.
While the intensity of the narrative keeps viewers engaged, the backdrop—the cityscapes, institutions, and interiors—quietly plays a major role in making the emotional weight feel real. The location adds a visceral texture to Janiyah Wiltkinson’s world, and every frame has been carefully chosen to reflect her turmoil. But where was Straw filmed? Let’s delve into the locations that shaped the grim and gripping world of Straw.
WHAT IS STRAW (2025) ABOUT?
Janiyah Wiltkinson, played by Taraji P. Henson, is a single mother who is having a hard time taking care of her sick daughter Aria and making ends meet on a meager grocery store salary. After a string of bad luck—her car being towed away, losing her job, and being kicked out of her apartment—and a shocking fight with armed thieves—her life falls apart quickly. Janiyah gets caught up in a bank standoff when she needs help the most, which gets the attention of the police and the media.
As the detectives try to work out a peaceful ending, they learn the sad truth: Aria had died earlier that day. All of these things happened because of a mental and emotional breakdown caused by grief. The story goes from being a tense hostage drama to a psychological look at trauma, hallucinations, and emotional breakdown because of the big twist.
WHERE WAS STRAW (2025) FILMED?
Straw was shot entirely in Atlanta, Georgia, which is known as the “Hollywood of the South” because of how many movies are made there. The main filming started in May 2024 and was done by late June 2024, a month later than planned. Atlanta was the perfect place for Tyler Perry’s vision because it has a lot of infrastructure. We’ll talk about the main filming locations in more detail below.
1. Tyler Perry Studios – Deshler Street, Atlanta
Most of the interior scenes in Straw were shot at Tyler Perry Studios, located at 315 Deshler Street SW, on a sprawling 330-acre campus. The studio has 12 fully equipped sound stages and numerous standing sets that include everything from a courtroom to a mock White House.
The emotional intensity of the movie’s bank scenes, grocery store altercation, and even residential interiors was brought to life inside these controlled environments. It’s likely that the bank interior, residential unit, police station, and hospital sequences were all filmed here.
This high-efficiency model allowed Taraji P. Henson to film all her scenes in just four days, showcasing the studio’s unmatched production management capabilities.
2. 2891 Lakewood Avenue – Prime Integrative Health Exterior
The Prime Integrative Health building at 2891 Lakewood Avenue SW was used to get shots of the outside of the bank where the hostage situation takes place. The dirty story going on inside was a perfect contrast to the building’s clean, modern outside.
The parking lot next to the building was also used to film the scenes with the crowd, the police, and the news coverage that made the third act of the movie more intense. Wide shots and establishing frames helped viewers understand where they were and how tense things were getting in the public eye.
3. Surrounding Streets and Neighborhoods – Fulton County, Atlanta
A few crucial outdoor scenes—such as the moment when Janiyah is run off the road by an aggressive off-duty cop, her eviction, and the aftermath of her job loss—were shot in urban neighborhoods around Fulton County.
These locations provided an authentic look at the struggles of everyday life in economically strained environments. Perry’s team likely selected areas that visually echoed the film’s themes of poverty, systemic failure, and personal breakdown.
WHY ATLANTA WAS THE PERFECT FIT
With a vibrant film industry, tax incentives, and one of the largest purpose-built production studios in the country, Atlanta has long been a hub for Hollywood filmmakers. But for Tyler Perry, who owns and operates Tyler Perry Studios, it’s also home—a city that mirrors the blend of hardship and hope central to his storytelling.
The city’s urban infrastructure, diverse communities, and studio capabilities provided everything needed to tell a high-impact, emotionally layered story like Straw with authenticity and logistical ease.
STRAW TRAILER (2025)
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