Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens might be Maria von Trapp’s favourite things, but ahead of International Chocolate Day, celebrated on September 13, honouring the birthday of Milton S Hershey, the founder of The Hershey Chocolate Company, we ought to admit that there is a far more universal comfort, chocolate.
On screen, it has served as a symbol of indulgence, temptation, love, rebellion, revenge, and even survival. Where roses wilt and kittens grow, chocolate remains an unshakable constant, melting its way into the fictional land and into us.
Chocolate has become a universal prop. In Leo’s teaser, Vijay’s character is in a chocolate factory, the smooth flow of chocolate intercut with the jarring, violent chaos of his hidden self. It’s a bloody narrative that culminates in a line that has echoed through that film, “Bloody sweet”. Or consider Deiva Thirumagal. Here, a father’s love for his daughter is folded into the very chocolate he makes. Despite the problematic narratives these films may carry, but for today, our focus is solely on the cocoa. And here are the films that have seamlessly woven chocolate into their spines.
The Chocolate War (1988): Teen rebellion meets fundraising candy. Selling chocolates becomes the battleground for a kid who refuses to play along.
Consuming Passions (1988): Dark comedy in a chocolate factory where a tragic mishap turns sweets into scandalous bestsellers.
Like Water for Chocolate (1992): Recipes literally carry emotion. Tita’s cooking makes people fall in love, cry, and revolt.
Hot Chocolate (1992): A made-for-TV rom-com about buying a French truffle company.
Strawberry and Chocolate (1993): Cuban classic where the title hints at contrast, “chocolate” shows up as a cultural/sensual counterpoint in a film about friendship and freedom.
Chocolat (2000): A mysterious chocolatier opens a chocolate shop during Lent and uses truffles to tempt a straight-laced French town into pleasure.
Merci pour le Chocolat (2000): A Swiss chocolate fortune hides bitterness and secrets. Here, chocolate is the surface of a bitter psychological thriller.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005): Tim Burton’s Wonka runs the world’s most bizarre chocolate factory where candy is the map to childhood wonder (and moral lessons).
Lessons in Chocolate (2007): An Italian rom-com where a reluctant student learns that chocolate lessons can stir up new careers and friendships.
Romantics Anonymous (2010): Two shy chocolatiers bumbling toward love prove that haute ganache and awkward flirting are a perfect match.
Dripping in Chocolate (2012): A detective follows a chocolate wrapper to a chocolatier as candies become clues in a murder mystery.
Chocolate Pieces (2017): A short about family and inheritance set around a chocolate shop.
Easter Under Wraps (2019): Hallmark’s Easter caper about undercover work at a family chocolate company.
Love, Romance & Chocolate (2019): A Hallmark trip to Belgium where pralines, pastry contests, and cobbled streets spark predictable but cozy romance.
Mr Mistake’s Belgian Chocolate (2020): A whimsical short where a bite of Belgian chocolate sends the protagonist teleporting to Belgium — chocolate.
Peace by Chocolate (2021): A Syrian family rebuilds their life in Canada by making artisanal chocolate — cocoa becomes hope and small-business therapy.
Sweeter Than Chocolate (2023): A Valentine’s-day TV romp where a bakery’s “secret” recipe is rumored to be a love-guarantee.
Blood Covered Chocolate (2023): Horror where chocolate-scented gore meets shapeshifters, don’t eat the candy unless you like vampires.
Wonka (2023): The origin story of Willy Wonka, chocolate invention, candy dreams, and one man’s plan to disrupt the confectionery cartel.
Dining and Cooking