"Flamin' Hot is the story of Richard Montañez, the Frito Lay janitor who channeled his Mexican American heritage and upbringing to turn Flamin' Hot Cheetos into a snack that disrupted the food industry and became a global phenomenon." 

OUR MOVIE REVIEW:

Eva Longoria’s feature directorial debut Flamin’ Hot is a superb example of how to craft a remarkable, unbelievable story into one of the most inspirational narratives for the ages. Not only is Flamin’ Hot one of the best films of 2023 thus far, it manages to be easily the best feature out of SXSW 2023. With rumors and debunking articles surrounding the net, this film wants you to take a chance on Richard Montanez’ story and by the end, whether entirely factual or not, it shines a spotlight on the power of an underdog on an unpaved path to success. 

Apart from a wonderful script from Linda Yvette Chávez and Longoria’s techniques behind the camera, what transforms this feature into something so special is the phenomenal cast of characters we meet along the way. Leading the film is the love story between Richard and Judy, a kinetic duo brought to the screen by Jesse Garcia and Annie Gonzalez. This is the driving force for Richard’s desire for success and ultimately the support needed in creating one of the greatest snack foods on the market. Outside of our leads, there is a massive amount of talent in supporting roles: Matt Walsh, Dennis Haysbert, Bobby Soto, Brice Gonzalez, Alejandro Montoya Marín and Tony Shalhoub are just a handful of the names affiliated with the efforts of Garcia as Montanez. 

Eva Longoria’s Flamin’ Hot is an absolute delight that’ll overtake you with emotion from the nuances of Montanez’ story both in his personal life as well as through the business side of things. The film is easily digestible and difficult to walk away from without a bit of your heart touched by the story at play and if there’s one certainty, it’s that afterward you’ll have the motivation to “think like a CEO” or at the very least have the hunger for some Flamin’ Hot snacks.