Racial Justice, Mystery and a Lot of Ass Kicking in RZA's New Movie
Source: Melissa Nyomi Stoll / Melissa Nyomi Stoll
RZA's new film One Spoon of Chocolate opens on a lonely stretch of Ohio highway. A handsome brother probably in his twenties is shooting phantom jump shots. A passing car of young white girls offers a lift. They leave laughing and flirting, his arms wrapped comfortably around two of them. But that seemingly harmless kindness is a setup: what happens next is brutal and chilling. They stop at a convenience store. The giggling girls ask him to buy them some snacks. When he exits the store, the girls are gone and he's pummeled by black hood wearing. bat-wielding white men. Blood seeps the asphalt. The next scene is even more horrific and from this vicious opening salvo, One Spoon of Chocolate plunges into Karensville—a small town that behind its quaint façade is teeming with racial violence, mystery and terror based on some 'real sh*t.'
'It's Get Out meets Rambo ,' says lead star Shameik Moore who most recently thrilled audiences in Spiderman. 'RZA is family. We've been working together for seven years. This one is art. This one is a very bold swing at being unapologetically Wu-Tang. Representing the culture in all the ways that we need it right now. It's exciting.
'It's about brotherhood,' reveals RZA. 'Redemption, which every man wishes he could find or is seeking it. And even more important, entertaining, provoking, and inspiring the audience is my mission. And I think this film does that.'
Blair Underwood who plays a parole office describes the film as 'a great action film, a vigilante film.' and Shameik as a 'beast.'
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The movie is set in a modern yet timeless American rust belt, the film follows Unique (Shameik Moore), a wrongly convicted soldier newly released, as he seeks healing with his cousin, Ramsey (RJ Cyler). Instead, they discover an underbelly of horror and racism, a sheriff and his white paramilitary buddies terrorizing the Black youth—disappearances, ugliness, violence and a chilling mystery. Unique's martial arts come alive as he fights back, carving his own path of redemption.
True to RZA's signature style, the martial arts choreography blends old-school kung fu cinema with the raw intensity of modern street combat. The fight scenes are tightly staged and brutal, with Shameik Moore's Unique using fists, feet, and blades in battles that feel both artful and desperate. RZA worked with longtime collaborators from the Wu-Tang stunt team. Every punch, kick, and parry reflects Unique's inner struggle — as much about reclaiming dignity as defeating his enemies.
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RZA first dropped hints in 2012 about a piece revolving around social unrest and martial art-cinema fusion. Over a decade later, production kicked off in April 2024 in Atlanta, with principal photography wrapping by July, spearheaded by a cast including Michael Jackson's daughter Paris Jackson, Blair Underwood, and Shameik Moore. The movie world finally got its first look at the Tribeca film festival this month. Radio/TV personality Jazmyn Summers was there for Radio One to bring you the tea.
RZA who won acclaim for The Man with the Iron Fists, says he's planning more films, 'If the universe allows it, I'll be making more movies for us. Movies are the culmination of all my art into one thing. Music is only now like a part of my brain. movies are my full brain,' he tells Summers.
RZA co-produced the film with Talani, his wife of 16 years. 'I asked my wife if we should build a new house or make a movie,' he discloses, 'She said 'what do you wanna do? I said make a movie and she said I got your back.'
The secret to their long loving marriage? 'We love each other and she is my best everything. Best friend. Best best best. That has to be the foundation,' he dishes.
As for bad habits, 'Bad habits. I think I got rid of them, 'he laughs.
Blair Underwood confesses his bad habits, 'Sweet sweets. My favorite candy is my wife, Josie,' he jokes.
Underwood says the secret to a strong marriage is, 'being great friends first and listening. I'm a better person today than I was two years ago… it's a lot of learning and listening and understanding.' He and wifey Josie Hart have been married two years.
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Moore's bad habit is, 'I overthink a lot. I'm a Taurus.' And he invited the single ladies to come find him. 'But catch me in real life,' he warns 'not online'.
Cyler says his bad habit is 'Chewing gum. My wife don't like it because I smack when I chew,' he laughs,
Wendell Pierce who came to support the movie and will star in Superman as newspaper editor Perry White winked that his bad habit is a little naughty 'Ooh, I can't talk about that on any media platform but I don't do it with other people.'
One Spoon of Chocolate draws blood and emotion in equal measure—a visceral call to arms wrapped in familial bonds and modern relevance underlining that redemption is never just physical—it's deeply human. With this one, RZA proves he's not just making movies—he's building a legacy not just in music but in film.
You can catch some of the convos with the actors below Source: Jazmyn Summers / Jazmyn Summers
Article by Jazmyn Summers. Photos and video by Melissa Nyomi Stoll of Melshotya You can hear Jazmyn every morning on 'Jazmyn in the Morning 'on Sirius XM Channel 362 Grown Folk Jamz . Subscribe to J azmyn Summers' YouTube . Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
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