One Spoon of Chocolate
| One Spoon of Chocolate | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | The RZA |
| Written by | The RZA |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Brandon Cox |
| Edited by | Joe D'Augustine |
| Music by | Tyler Bates The RZA |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 112 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $743,092[2][3] |
One Spoon of Chocolate is a 2025 American action thriller drama film written, produced and directed by RZA.[a] It stars Shameik Moore, Paris Jackson, RJ Cyler, Harry Goodwins, Johnell Young, Michael Harney, Rockmond Dunbar, E'myri Crutchfield, Blair Underwood, Jason Isbell, Isaiah Hill (in his feature film debut), James Lee Thomas, and Jason Vendryes.
The film premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Festival on June 8, 2025 and was released in the United States on May 1, 2026.
Plot
[edit]Unique is a veteran who is seeking a quiet life in his hometown of Karenville, Ohio after being released from prison in New York. He moves in with his cousin, Ramsee, to claim his half of the family home. However, Karenville is a sundown town that is controlled by a corrupt and racist Sheriff McLeoud. McCleoud is operating an organ harvesting scheme targeting black men. Sheriff McCleoud's son, Jimmy, leads a gang who roam the streets at night with baseball bats, hunting lone black men. The scheme comes to light with the disappearance of Unique's other cousin, Lonnie, a local star athlete, whose organs are harvested by the town doctor.
Trying to protect his family, Unique attempts to maintain a low profile. He starts to form a relationship with Darla, a friend of Ramsee's girlfriend. Darla encourages Unique to live a peaceful life. However, Unique's situation changes when the gang targets and abducts Ramsee. Due to the Sheriff's involvement, Unique does not report the crime.
Back in New York, Unique's parole officer, Officer Beam, becomes concerned after Sheriff McCleoud reports that Unique has not checked in. During the conversation, Beam overhears communication from the Sheriff that reveals the organ harvesting scheme. Fearing for Unique, Beam travels to Ohio.
Utilizing his military training, Unique begins to fight back against the gang. Unique infiltrates Jimmy's clubhouse and kills each member of the gang until only Jimmy remains. During the confrontation, the Sheriff's Office and Officer Beam gather outside. Realizing that the Sheriff intends to kill him, Unique executes Jimmy, ending McCleoud's lineage.
Cast
[edit]- Shameik Moore as Randy "Unique" Joneson
- RJ Cyler as Ramsee Joneson
- Harry Goodwins as Jimmy McLeoud
- Paris Jackson as Darla
- Blair Underwood as Ronald Beem
- Johnell Young as Dap
- Michael Harney as Sheriff McLeoud
- Rockmond Dunbar as Mr. Lindsey
- E'myri Crutchfield as Aretha
- James Lee Thomas as Jesse McLeoud
- Michael Bekemeier as Paulie
- Brandon Bonilla as Mickey
- Jason Vendryes as Deputy Susky
- Jason Isbell as Business Man
- Isaiah Hill as Lonnie Joneson
Production
[edit]In October 2012, in an interview with The New York Times, RZA revealed that he was working on his next feature film, titled One Spoon of Chocolate, which was described as a period piece set between the 1960s and 1970s.[4]
In late April 2024, Shameik Moore, Paris Jackson, RJ Cyler, Harry Goodwins, Johnell Young, Michael Harney, Rockmond Dunbar, E'myri Crutchfield, and Blair Underwood joined the cast of the film.[5] In May, Jason Isbell, Isaiah Hill, and James Lee Thomas joined the cast in an undisclosed role.[6]
Filming
[edit]Principal photography began in April 2024, in Atlanta, and wrapped in July.[5][7][8]
Release
[edit]One Spoon of Chocolate premiered at the Tribeca Festival on June 8, 2025.[9] In March 2026, it was announced that RZA had launched a distribution label named 36 Cinema Distribution, with One Spoon of Chocolate being its maiden release in association with Variance Films; Quentin Tarantino also boarded the film as a presenter. The film was theatrical release in the United States on May 1, 2026, with select engagements presented on 35mm.[10]
Reception
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 42% of 31 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.1/10.[11]
Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 38 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[12]
Notes
[edit]- ↑ RZA is credited for his work as writer, director, and composer as the RZA, and under his birth name Robert Diggs as a producer
References
[edit]- ↑ "One Spoon of Chocolate". Tribeca Festival. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
- ↑ "One Spoon of Chocolate". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
- ↑ "One Spoon of Chocolate". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
- ↑ Itzkoff, Dave (October 17, 2012). "For RZA, Hip-Hop Was Just a Prelude to Kung Fu". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
- 1 2 Vlessing, Etan (April 23, 2024). "Shameik Moore, Paris Jackson Board 'One Spoon of Chocolate' Drama (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
- ↑ Complex, Valerie (May 14, 2024). "Jason Isbell Boards RZA Action Film 'One Spoon of Chocolate'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ↑ "Now Filming in Georgia". Georgia Department of Economic Development. May 18, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ↑ "What's Filming in Georgia in July 2024". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. July 3, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
- ↑ Goldsmith, Jill (June 5, 2025). "RZA Says Making Movies Fulfills Every "Art Form That's In Me" As Action Thriller 'One Spoon Of Chocolate' Set To Premiere At Tribeca". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
- ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (March 12, 2026). "RZA Launches Film Distribution Label, Teams With Quentin Tarantino For Release Of Revenge Thriller 'RZA's One Spoon Of Chocolate'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ↑ "One Spoon of Chocolate". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ↑ "One Spoon of Chocolate". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
