Movie Review: ‘Flamin’ Hot’

Eva Longoria makes her narrative feature directing debut with the tale of Frito-Lay worker Richard Montañez.

Premiering on Hulu and Disney+, ‘Flamin’ Hot’ tells the compelling true story of Richard Montañez, a man who rose from a life of struggle and struck with a great idea for an untapped market in the chip industry, made his life dreams come true.

Flamin' Hot

"The flavor you know. The story you don't."

PG-131 hr 39 minMar 11th, 2023

Showtimes & Tickets

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What’s the story of ‘Flamin’ Hot’?

The movie tells the story of Montañez (Jessie Garcia), who was born in an East Los Angeles barrio community to Mexican-American parents in the late 1950s. He was gifted with a smart mind, an ambitious soul, and a dream for a better life. He dropped out of school in his mid-teens –– one of his greatest regrets –– only to discover that without a high school diploma or college education, the only jobs he could get were window washers and gas station attendants. This was not what he wanted for himself or his future.

It was his perseverance that eventually landed him a janitor gig at a local Frito-Lay factory. On the job, his inquisitive mind wanted to learn more about how the snacks were made, and about the machines and the production line, which made his colleagues and his supervisors suspicious. Who was this man who dared to think he was somebody he wasn’t and who wanted more out of his life?

While his coworkers told him that his chances of getting a meeting with the CEO were about the same as flying to the moon, Montañez wanted to make sure his ideas got the top. He ultimately would spend years toiling away on the factory floor before the opportunity finally presented itself, when PepsiCo CEO Roger Enrico (Tony Shalhoub) was on-site for a factory tour. Amazingly, the man with no formal education and no business marketing training or tools managed to get a moment of facetime with the boss, who was intrigued enough to ask for a formal presentation. The rest is history, Montañez’ ideas leading to him joining the executive ranks at the company.

Tony Shalhoub and Matt Walsh in 'Flamin' Hot.'

Who else is in ‘Flamin’ Hot?

The cast also includes Annie Gonzalez as Judy Montañez, Richard’s wife, Dennis Haysbert as Richard’s mentor at Frito-Lay, Clarence C. Baker, Matt Walsh as his boss, Lonny Mason, Bobby Soto as Richard’s friend Tony Romero and Emilio Rivera as his father, Vacho Montañez.

Breaking stereotypes

While there was some debate in 2021 as to whether Montañez’s story truly holds up (Frito-Lay has cast doubt on the tale as it stands, as reported in this LA Times piece) there’s no denying that he did have a role to play in expanding the flavors of the company’s products to appeal to Latino audiences. And it doesn’t diminish the power of the movie itself.

Longoria might be making her movie directorial debut here, but she brings a wealth of experiences from both in front of and behind the camera –– an extensive acting resume, and work both producing and directing all sorts of TV series, from the dramatic likes of ‘Grand Hotel’ to the more comedic tones of ‘Black-ish’ and ‘Jane the Virgin’, which blends both together.

Here, she whips through Montañez’s narrative, touching on the important parts and never leaving out the love he shows for his family and the struggles he and his wife went through. And the movie even nods to how Montañez had to hustle in less-than-legal fashion early on, while disrupting and disputing common misconceptions about Mexican culture in particular. This is a story of determination and enthusiasm, with a supporting family that belies the standard TV and movie representation of Latino culture as gang bangers or immigrants.

Highlights for ‘Flamin’ Hot’ include the charming lead performance from Garcia as Montañez, narrating his life story in a manner that keeps you interested, and working well off of Linda Yvette Chávez’s script.

Jesse Garcia and Dennis Haysbert in 'Flamin' Hot.'

Haysbert also gets a solid arc as Clarence, the gruff, genius engineer who maintains the machines at the plant where Montañez sweeps the floors. Spotting something in the ambitious man, he mentors him towards success, even as he longs to be on the executive level himself and is frustrated that some of the people he has trained have been promoted above him. His and Richard’s relationship is far more equal and warmer, the sheer enthusiasm and openness of Montañez’s approach breaking through Clarence’s barriers and proving a boon for them both.

Shalhoub, meanwhile, is good value in a relatively small (but still crucial) role as Frito-Lay’s CEO, one of the people who inspires Richard to dream bigger. And he’s the focus of quick, funny scenes where Richard imagines how the company’s executives get the job done, the stuffed suits transforming into gangsters who threaten each other in cartoony voices provided by Richard.

This is the sort of movie that gets made a lot, but far more rarely about people who look like Richard Montañez and his family, which is all the more remarkable. And while it’s regrettable that Disney’s Searchlight decision opted to push it to Hulu, it has a chance to reach a wider audience than a limited engagement in theaters.

Director Eva Longoria and DP Federico Cantini on set of 'Flamin' Hot.'

Not as tasty

It’s not a perfect movie –– you can certainly see moments where the budget outstripped the ambition of Longoria and her team, with some dodgy wig moments and scenes that could have been excised without losing any of the flavor of the film.

An engaging, funny and charming story well told, ‘Flamin’ Hot’ sometimes feels like it needed to be a limited series rather than a movie, so full of incident was its subject’s life.

But if it serves to inspire just one or two people to go the extra mile in chasing their dreams, it’ll be a worthwhile movie, while entertaining even if you’re not searching for a new direction in life.

‘Flamin’ Hot’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.