Written by: Linda Yvette Chávez & Lewis Colick
Starring: Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, Tony Shalhoub, Hunter Jones
Rating: [3.5/5]
The idea of following a big dream through any circumstance creates the massive belief of the potential of this country. Anyone can make it if they put in the work and get the results that go with it, which Flamin’ Hot utilizes as its central tenet in its narrative. As formulaic as it gets when it comes to telling stories of inventions but this one comes with a perfect mixture of style and cultural significance that makes for a fun and entertaining ride.
Trying to move away from a life of crime, Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia) takes on a gig as a janitorial worker at a local Frito-Lay factory. While cleaning, he takes up an interest in how the machines work, even when he steps out of bounds of what his position asks for, but he hatches an idea of a way to introduce a new chip flavor that will completely revitalize the company and the way it can connect to the Latine community.
While the facts of this story remain in dispute, the story centered on Flamin’ Hot serves as quite the inspirational tale. It has almost become a joke where older generations tell young folks to work their way up in a company, even if one has to start as a janitor. Often seen as the lowest role in any corporations, as the person needs to pick up the trash of everyone else, in this story we genuinely see how someone like Montañez could complete such a feat. It occurs because he steps outside of what is required of him and he decides that he will provide added value to the company by creating something new that will allow them to tap into a new market. The ultimate capitalist dream one could say.
Of the many films of the past few years that focus on the invention and creation of brands we know, this one provides a distinctly unique outlook because of the focus on the Latine community. When looking at films about the created smartphones or shoes, they have a specific broad appeal to others, and while the “Flamin’ Hot Cheeto” certainly has widespread popularity, its outsized growth had much to do because the Latine community loved it and purchased it in droves. An untapped market Frito-Lay could never break into, and ultimately displays how an outside perspective can bring something new to the table.
With all the talk on how this will impact Frito-Lay, Flamin’ Hot remains a deeply human story about one guy allowing his voice to matter and finding advocates within the company that would allow the ideas of a janitor to make for quite the risky move for this company. We see the perspective of what transpires at the plant, but the best moments occur while at home for Montañez where the anchor of family never gets lost. His loving relationship with his wife Judy (Annie Gonzalez) serves as the soul of the film. The two lived dangerous lives prior to her pregnancy, and with that realization they knew they needed to change their ways and provide a better life for the children they will bring into the world. While Annie Gonzalez does get subjugated to the typical “wife of the great man” role, she does receive enough to make Judy a character worth remembering.
While it carries some generic elements in its storytelling, Eva Longoria does quite a strong job in her directorial debut. She adds the necessary elements of the story that highlights what truly matters in this inspirational tale. Longoria ensures that while invention and success matters, ultimately the people involved and the relationships they cultivate matter even more, which undoubtedly carries the ultimate truth of the matter. A stand-up job by all means.
Funny, inspirational, and everything one could expect, Flamin’ Hot tells the questionably true story of how the famous chip came to be about as good as one could tell it. This film hits all the hallmarks one could want with a story such as this one and ultimately digs into the elements that ultimately make the chip special and the people surrounding it who made the difference in the lives of those involved. Hard not to like and a good job by all involved.
Films with Josh 
