Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Straw’ follows the story of a woman who is going through the worst day of her life. It begins on yet another seemingly normal day for Janiyah Wiltkinson as she gets her daughter ready for school while trying to ignore the many unpaid bills and the eviction notice from her landlady. Things are no better at work either, where her boss is incredibly insensitive and fires her when she is called over to her daughter’s school. Somehow, the events transpire such that Janiyah ends up at the bank across the street from her employment and holds the place hostage. Almost the entirety of the film unravels inside the bank, which is not as real as it seems.
The Fictional Benevolent Bank and Trust was Filmed in Real Locations
Tyler Perry’s ‘Straw’ is a fictional story that unfolds over the course of one day in the Benevolent Bank and Trust, where Janiyah Wiltkinson has an account. With the location being so critical to the plot, the film’s cast and crew looked for places that could serve the purpose of the plot while also giving it a sense of realism. Most of the scenes featuring Taraji P. Henson’s character take place inside the bank, for which the filmmakers turned towards the soundstages in Tyler Perry Studios at 315 Deshler Street South West, Atlanta.
With over twelve sound stages, the studio has standing sets that have come in handy in the production of several Tyler Perry films over the years. It also includes a bank, and the same set was used while making ‘Straw.’ While Janiyah loses grip on her sanity inside the bank, the cops try to contain the situation from outside the building. Detective Kay Raymond tries to negotiate with Janiyah to calm her down and de-escalate the situation as quickly as possible. Most of this action takes place outside the bank’s gate and in the parking lot, which gets more and more crowded as people find out about Janiyah’s story.
These scenes were filmed outside the Prime Integrative Health building at 2891 Lakewood Avenue South West, Atlanta. The open space outside the building allowed them easy access to the parking lot and other nearby locations, which also factored into the film. Instead of banking services, Prime Integrative Health is a health services-related practice run by chiropractor, Dr. Camille Scott, D.C. The main focus is on massage therapy and physiotherapy in conjunction with homeopathics, through which the doctors aim for alternative and naturopathic methods to help people get better. The place’s exteriors were transformed into the bank for the film.
Read More: Where was Straw Filmed? Shooting Locations of the Netflix Movie
