Flamin' Hot (2023) — Movie Review

The transformation of a Mexican American janitor into the architect of a billion-dollar snack company fits perfectly with the current film trends. These trends include diverse storytelling and unraveling the fascinating histories behind everyday products. Interestingly, in 2021, Latino audiences frequented cinemas more than their white counterparts in the U.S. However, this has not led to a proportional representation of Latinos or Hispanics in lead roles.

Ahead of this summer's much-anticipated DC adventure, Blue Beetle, featuring a rare Latino superhero, Eva Longoria emerges from her well-established television career to don the filmmaker's hat. She attempts to depict the riveting, yet sometimes monotonous, journey from obscurity to wealth of Richard Montañez. Despite having intermittent flashes of cinematic brilliance, the film bears an uncanny resemblance to a television movie.

Raised in the turbulent '60s era in California, Richard Montañez straddles his Mexican-American identity amidst schoolyard bullying and domestic violence. Longoria, together with screenwriters Linda Yvette Chávez and Lewis Colick, keep the narrative relatively light. This happens even as Richard, convincingly played by Jesse Garcia, and his partner Judy, portrayed by Annie Gonzalez, gradually descend into a life of crime. The birth of their child leads them to reassess their lifestyle choices. However, a hostile job market consistently imposes harsh adversities. Richard finally lands a janitorial job at the local Frito-Lay factory. He endures his job with unflagging enthusiasm, cherishing his ability to provide for his family amidst numerous humiliations.

Yet, a deteriorating economy and ensuing layoffs trigger Richard to think outside the box. His brainstorming births an innovative solution that targets the largely ignored Latino market: the transformation of a mundane Cheeto into the fiery Flamin’ Hot Cheeto. This narrative arc resembles recent business origin stories. It highlights the concept of perseverance against the odds to cater to an underserved demographic.

Nevertheless, despite its alignment with films like Ben Affleck’s Air, the story seems to lack a powerful protagonist. Thus, it undermines its overall impact and makes it feel more like a medium-sized Wikipedia page. Additionally, some of its standout moments are susceptible to skepticism, as an investigation by the Los Angeles Times reveals that Montañez's involvement in developing the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto is greatly an exaggeration if not entirely fabrication.

When such films are adequately produced, they ignite curiosity about the reality behind the story. However, this narrative of Montañez's journey, regardless of his actual contribution to the snack's creation, feels rather lackluster. Although the film is punctuated with occasional bursts of cheerfulness and displays proficient filmmaking skills, it tends to lean toward excessive sentimentality. The forced emotional scenes are far too conspicuous to induce genuine sentiment. The film, despite being about the essence of heat, is paradoxically lukewarm.