• Release year: 2023
• Director: Eva Longoria.
• Producers: DeVon Franklin.
• Screenplay by: Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette Chávez.
• Cinematographer: Federico Cantini.
• Music by: Marcelo Zarvos.

Shotgun Commentary: fun and inspiring, just…don’t do any research.

Review

Flamin’ Hot is Richard Montañez’s account of how he got promoted from janitor to multicultural marketing executive for inventing the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. This is very encouraging, in particular for Latino minorities in the US. Sadly, this American dream is not likely to be true, which kinda defeats its purpose.

Based on what again?

There is nothing wrong with a fake story that inspires audiences. However, when it is marketed as based on the truth, it is a huge letdown. Especially when you do some minor research and encounter all the data that disproves it. Granted, the film was already being shot, and it would be a waste of time and resources to not finish it, but therein lies the main error. It is a huge miscalculation to put money into shooting the first anecdote you encounter without doing some proper research on its veracity first. Making an inspiring movie that caters to Latino communities based on a success story is a noble goal. Regrettably, using a not-so-true story and marketing it as reality completely robs it of its power.

The life of a man with a hard background, who gets advanced from janitor to executive through his hard-work and initiative, is fantastic. Furthermore, some licences can be taken to make the narrative more cinematic. However, his struggle to get promoted, the creation of the hot Cheetos, and his call to Roger Enrico, are the pivotal moments, the foundations of the story, and all of those have been proven inaccurate through legal documents. This deflates the uplifting message and taints the viewers’ idea of it. After learning of the discrepancies, Flamin’ Hot feels tainted, and not in a good way like Cheetle.

Lively recounting

Moving on from the disappointment of the loose way in which “based on a true story” is used, the storytelling is quite strong. The tale is dynamic, it doesn’t pause much on any moment and goes straight to the point in every act. During the narration of some events, the speed nears that of Luis (Michael Peña) in Ant-Man (2015) and the voiceover technique is the same, making these possibly unintended, but very welcome, callbacks.

Additionally, the colour palette of hyper-saturated hues is incredibly expressive. From the clean blues of the working place where everything is order and precision, to the warm tones of Montañez’s house, welcoming and full of love, every combination gives of its own message of what happens and will happen in said space.

Average

The performances are quite good. Dennis Haysbert and Clarence Baker is one of the most compelling characters, although Jesse García as Richard Montañez is also likeable and believable from the beginning. Regardless of the cast’s talent, the characters are quite plain and stereotypical, so there is not much room to shine. Tony Shalhoub is always a welcome addition but, much like all the others, his Tony Enrico falls flat most of the time.

As for the music, it really pulls the feature forward. Essentially, if not for the music and the rhythm of the narration, the film would be a tedious cliché story of self-improvement.

Advice to take from this movie:

• Always do your research before committing to a project.
• Hot snacks are awesome.
• If society considers you beneath it, light a candle. Not to ask anything of God, just because they are nice and smell good.

What’s your take? Have you watched Flamin’ Hot? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀

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