Tribeca 2025 Review: ONE SPOON OF CHOCOLATE, Stylized Action Aims a Blow, Doesn't Pack a Punch

Unique (Shameik Moore) is an Army veteran who has just been released from prison.

Thanks to a sympathetic parole officer (Blair Underwood) who agrees to put in a request for his relocation, Unique is able to go to Ohio, where his cousin Ramsey (RJ Cyler), the only family he has left, resides. Unfortunately for both of them, Unique’s dream of a quiet life isn’t meant to be, as on the very first day, the guys draw the attention of the local gang, headed by the son of the corrupt sheriff (Michael Harney). While there is also a grand conspiracy against Black men going on in town, Unique manages to meet a girl he falls in love with, just before his world goes to hell.

One Spoon of Chocolate is the latest directorial work of RZA, a cult cultural phenomenon and a powerhouse in his own right, who, much like his frequent collaborator Quentin Tarantino, is fond of classic exploitation movies and martial arts films. His latest feature, which just had its premiere at the Tribeca Festival, is obviously another testament to this admiration, as well as a love letter to those traditions. At the same time, One Spoon of Chocolate is filled with remnants of the director’s personal experiences he had while living in Ohio, as well as with observations about institutional racism.

It would seem that all of the above should make for an organic, albeit explosive, mash-up, but in reality, these elements don’t seem to mix well at all. The film starts strong with a seemingly unrelated prologue, which hints at a Get Out-style conspiracy and demonstrates the cruelty of the locals.

But then the energy dissolves into something that feels more like a contemporary version of First Blood than an actual exploitation flick, up until the brutal finale. More than anything, that has to do with the lack of consistency in terms of cinematic style, which keeps shifting constantly, as does the film’s tone.

The imbalance between the dramatic and the exploitative, between the obvious satire and the moments of pathos and sentimentality, makes One Spoon of Chocolate feel weirdly stale and filled with cliches for the most part. The core of the movie and something the authors have a clear vision for is the act of vengeance that comes at the very end of the film.

Here, you can see the inspiration behind this whole sequence, both cinematically and ideologically, with Shameik Moore’s character literally turning into an almost mythological figure, a knight of righteous vengeance. To get there, though – and it’s literally the last 15 minutes of the film – the audience has to get through a mumbling narrative and dubious aesthetic choices, such as switching to black and white at certain moments for a dramatic emphasis.

The movie’s heart is undoubtedly in the right place, and it speaks of one of the most important themes at the forefront of current reality. And at the very last moments, One Spoon of Chocolate even includes a self-reflective piece of dialogue, in which Unique states that he could continue trying to have the discussion with his primary opponent, but that would largely be a waste of time.

The idea of the necessity to keep this conversation going no matter what is one of the most crucial ones the film ends up transmitting. Too bad that by the time it happens, the audience’s patience, much like that of the protagonist’s, sadly might have worn thin.

The film enjoyed its world premiere at Tribeca Festival 2025. Visit its official page for more information.