Commercial biopics. They’re so hot right now. We’ve talked about Air and Tetris. Heck, even BlackBerry had a movie this year. In a surprisingly postmodern twist, we’re turning our attention to Flamin’ Hot. It almost makes sense that in 2023 Flamin’ Hot Cheetos would get their own movie. Does the plucky underdog story “Burn so good”? Or does it “Burn bad”? Read on.
Flamin’ Hot follows Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia). He’s a hardworking man who’s just never had a break. After pulling himself up through a politically and racially tumultuous climate in California during the 1960s and 1970s, he’s grateful just to work as a janitor at Frito Lay.
With charisma and dedication that knows no bounds, he comes up with an idea. Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, y’all! Perhaps the innovative idea would be just the right thing to pull the struggling snack company out of the “Snack Wars.” After all, there’s a largely untapped market in the growing Mexican community and they’re yearning for the taste of childhood in their snack food. It has to “burn good.” Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, Tony Shalhoub, and Matt Walsh co-star in the movie. Eva Longoria directs Flamin’ Hot from a script by Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette Chávez.
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This entire story centers on Richard Montañez. He’s a complicated man. He has a past. He’s had to work and steal, and he’s had to do things he isn’t proud of. However, everything he’s done is to support his family. He’s an underdog. At the same time, though, he’s brash, confident and knows his worth. Richard needs the right blend of special charisma to hold an audience. Jesse Garcia meets this challenge head-on in his portrayal of Montañez. Garcia is a relatively new face for audiences in the feature film scene. He’s had a heck of a year with roles in Ambulance and The Mother. However, looking over his filmography, he paid his dues largely on the small screen with roles in ER and CSI: Miami. Here’s to seeing where he goes from here.
Garcia heads an easily likable ensemble. His bond with Annie Gonzalez as Richard’s wife is the story’s central relationship. In fact, Richard’s success rests squarely on Judy’s shoulders. These two make each other better in a sweet but realistic way. Their chemistry shines through.
At the same time, though, Flamin’ Hot struggles to incorporate some solid ensemble performance. This is most noticeable when examining Dennis Haysbert as Frito Lay engineer Clarence C. Baker. Haysbert cuts a traditionally stoic yet magnetic performance. However, he feels underutilized in a script aiming to champion the underdog. In his hands, I wanted to know more about Baker, but he seems only to exist as it pertains to Montañez.
Meanwhile, Matt Walsh and Tony Shaloub meld seamlessly in their colorful character performances. Shaloub injects tantalizing yet subtle character insights in a way only he can as CEO Roger Enrico. Meanwhile, as plant manager Lonny Mason, Walsh reminds us how easily he can steal a scene in the smallest part.
Truthfully, though, Flamin’ Hot isn’t a new formula. While it feels very 2023 to give Cheetos a biopic, this spunky underdog story is, in the grand scheme of things, a repackaged rehash of a well-trod idea. We’ve seen this before. Heck, we’ve seen this three times since February 2023 alone.
Like Air and Tetris before it this year, there’s little drama built into the script. There are lots of speeches blended with plenty of spirited optimism and heart. Ultimately, it’s hard not to know Richard will triumph over whatever mild challenge pops up at the end of act two. These movies always have one. Flamin’ Hot Cheetos are a “thing,” after all. They exist.
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Flamin’ Hot is based on Montanez’s book, A Boy, a Burrito, and a Cookie: From Janitor to Executive. While his story is compelling, a quick internet search reveals complexity in the scripted narrative. To make a long story exponentially shorter, no one seems to quite tell the same story about how Flamin’ Hot Cheetos really came into existence.
As we saw in Tetris, Flaimin’ Hot tells one story from one perspective. This is told through Richard Montanez’s eyes. However, this film (like the unofficial series of business biopics we’ve seen in 2023) is meant to feel like a true story. These “true stories” aren’t documentaries but brands we recognize, with real people emerging as the story’s focus. They are rooted in reality.
In that, these “Based on a True Story” films are inherently complex. These are a study in storytelling and viewer literacy. Can you believe what you’re seeing? Perhaps. However, with such a thin line separating brands from creativity, where does reality end and highly polished narrative manipulation begin? That’s hard to say. Ultimately, all you can do is know your sources.
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That said, Flamin’ Hot certainly holds a lot of power from a representational standpoint. Director Eva Longoria openly talks about this as the main reason she wanted to tackle the film. This story and, indeed, this culture was important for not only Longoria as a filmmaker but also this cast. Through everything, Flamin’ Hot has a lot of heart. A lot of love is coming from in front of and behind the camera, and it shines through the screen.
Ultimately, Flamin’ Hot is purely fine. This is a standard, middle-of-the-road commercial biopic. While there are certainly plenty of positives thanks to the charismatic performances, for most, this isn’t going to be that memorable. It takes few chances, and as such, while this plucky narrative has a lot of heart, it can’t quite reach its full potential.
Flamin’ Hot streams on Hulu beginning June 9, 2023.
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