Hip-hop icon and Wu-Tang Clan frontman RZA makes a bold return to the director’s chair with One Spoon Of Chocolate, a socially charged action thriller set to premiere at the Tribeca Festival. The film explores systemic racism, justice, and redemption through a compelling narrative led by Shameik Moore (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), RJ Cyler (The Harder They Fall), and a diverse ensemble cast.
Moore plays Unique, a former military convict who relocates to a small Midwestern town after completing a wrongful prison sentence. Seeking peace with his only surviving relative, Ramsey (played by Cyler), Unique soon discovers the town hides a horrific secret: a group of missing young Black men and a violent conspiracy led by the town’s racist sheriff.
Filmed in Atlanta and doubling as Ohio, the movie blends action with timely social commentary. RZA, who also composed the score alongside Tyler Bates, uses the story to pose deep questions: “How do we recognize when we need to change ourselves? How do we recognize that we need to change our community?”
A Journey Ten Years in the Making
RZA began writing One Spoon Of Chocolate in 2012, shortly after his directorial debut The Man with the Iron Fists. Facing writer’s block, the screenplay evolved slowly—until inspiration struck while touring with Wu-Tang Clan. “Everything just came, the whole story, fully evolved,” he told Deadline. “As an artist, we are instruments—you’ve got to let the muse blow through you.”
The project joins RZA’s growing filmography, which includes Love Beats Rhymes (2017), Cut Throat City (2020), and Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga. As a composer, his work includes cult classics like Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai and Drama Volumes 1 and 2.
Why Film Is RZA’s Ultimate Medium
For RZA, cinema is more than storytelling—it’s a fusion of all his creative passions: “The costumes, the design, the colors, the cinematography, the action—film is the perfect medium.” While music remains intimate and personal, filmmaking offers the collaborative energy he thrives on.
During the pandemic, RZA launched 36 Cinema, hosting large-scale watch parties for thousands. Still, he remains a staunch advocate for theatrical experiences: “The theater is the best place to experience films… If you want the full experience of the original, creative tension, theaters are better.”
One Spoon Of Chocolate is produced by RZA Productions, 36 Cinema, and Xen Diagram Media, with executive producers including Talani Diggs, Mitchell Divine Diggs, and Joe Genier (Bigger).
The film delivers a raw, visceral experience anchored by a powerful message—and marks another major milestone in RZA’s evolution as a filmmaker.
