STRAW - Ending Explained

The central, game-changing twist of "STRAW" is the revelation that Janiyah's daughter, Aria, is not sick at home but has, in fact, already died. In the film's climax, during a phone call with her mother, Janiyah is told that Aria passed away the previous evening. This disclosure reframes the entire film: Janiyah is not a mother trying to save her sick child, but a woman suffering from a complete, grief-induced psychotic break.

Her actions throughout her 'terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day' are recontextualized as the delusional wanderings of a mind shattered by loss. The need to cash the check for her daughter's school lunch money was not a present-day urgency but a manifestation of her inability to accept Aria's death. The bank robbery was not a conscious act but the tragic endpoint of her psychological unraveling. This twist transforms the narrative from a social thriller into a profound tragedy about mental health and a mother's devastating grief. The ending sequence presents two possibilities: one where she is shot and killed by police, and another where she is peacefully led away. The film settles on the more hopeful outcome, but the ambiguity serves to underscore the fragility of her fate.

The film's ending, which features a shocking twist followed by a sequence of flashing 'what-if' scenarios, has been a major point of discussion. One interpretation is that the final, more hopeful outcome where Janiyah is calmed down and led out safely is the 'real' ending, suggesting that empathy (from Nicole and Detective Raymond) ultimately triumphed.

However, an alternative reading, favored by some critics, views this conclusion as a 'cop-out' that softens the film's brutal social critique. These viewers argue that the vision of the police storming the bank and killing her is a more realistic, albeit devastating, conclusion that aligns with the film's depiction of systemic violence. This interpretation suggests the 'happy' ending might be a comforting fantasy, either for the audience or for Janiyah herself, undercutting the grim reality the rest of the film so powerfully builds.