STRAW 2025: A Mother’s Silence Was Louder Than a Siren
A haunting look at grief, survival, and a mother’s quiet collapse in a world that never gave her room to fall.

To make ends meet in this romantic drama, a devoted wife and mom takes in boarders and, while starting her life over, falls for the most unlikely of men, a warm-hearted blue-collar worker, in this adaptation of Elizabeth Berg's bestselling book.
A haunting look at grief, survival, and a mother’s quiet collapse in a world that never gave her room to fall.
As a frequent “the book was better” extoller, this movie was well worth the watch.
Tran Quoc Bao succeeds in telling us a story about martial arts, human decay, and friendship. The originality shown by his filmmaking is admirable and brings fresh air to the classic Chinese martial arts genre.
Despite this genre not being a new one, The Novice offers a fresh perspective with its study of performance anxiety
Jennifer Lopez leads the story as Zoe, a determined woman who opts for artificial insemination after a string of failed relationships. Lopez's portrayal adds depth and warmth to Zoe
It is up to the community to decide if this film is a force for enlightenment or not.