Flamin' Hot - O Sabor que Mudou a História

On the basis of emotional sentiment this story checks the boxes by properly building up each sequence with just enough "hope" to maximize the most of its climax. There's a sense of relatability, not only in a product that is universally recognizable, but also in a character that we seem to know all too well in each of our own lives. The tone is light and though you receive a certain payoff toward the end, the reservation of critical moments throughout the rest of the film lingers as an aftertaste. We're entering the era of product films and whether the pieces for each story come from extraordinary roots or simply fall into place they all tend to feel the same. Jesse Garcia is an enjoyable screen presence who leads a unique Hulu project, and from what I've seen with his previous performances, he's only trending upward. I approached the film with a curiosity for an origin story that may or may not have been entirely dramatized, and walked away rooting for the aspirational spirit that is sometimes deeply embedded within each one of us.

There's a lot of buzz around whether Flamin' Hot tells a true story or not, but for me the accuracy doesn't really matter all that much. It's still a nice movie either way, albeit commercial (and it's not a documentary, c'mon).

Linda Yvette Chávez tells the tale of Flamin' Hot Cheetos through the lense of Richard Montañez's life. The plot generally surrounds his personal struggles in his career and subsequently the development and marketing of Flamin' Hot Cheetos. By the end you are left with a inspiring commentary about how no one is defined by a title. There's some good jokes sprinkled in, too.

Also, the movie does it's job as an ad well, so maybe have some Flamin' Hot Cheetos on hand.

This film was heartwarming, entertaining and with actual laugh out loud moments - truth to the story or not. One can argue that a huge corporation like Pepsico would deny any truth to the story because after all, any acknowledgement otherwise would open them up to a 1 billion dollar sales profit royalty lawsuit. So no matter what you choose to believe, it doesn't take away from the fun and entertaining story that was well directed, perfectly cast and performed, with great cinematography and score. It's still an inspirational story that will keep you rooting for the underdog, no matter how you slice it.

While the story presented in the movie may not be entirely true, it doesn't diminish the fact that it is an enjoyable film to watch. Frito-Lay, through a spokesperson, disputed Richard Montañez's claim and stated that he was not involved in creating the product line in question, according to an internal investigation. However, it is true that Montañez did rise from a floor-level position to a marketing executive at Frito-Lay and was involved in pitching new products, including Flamin' Hot Popcorn in 1994. Despite the lack of factual accuracy, screenwriter Lewis Colick mentioned that enough of the story was true. PepsiCo released a statement supporting Montañez's contributions and expressed their concern about the strain on their friendship with him and the Latino community due to the debunking of his story. Montañez retired from PepsiCo in March 2019 during an internal investigation. In the end, the movie offers outstanding acting, a compelling storyline (albeit fictional), and portrays Richard Montañez as the hero. The only mistake they made is telling us it is a true story. But the movie is fun to watch, therefore a 7/10. Watch or skip? Depends. If you like movies, yes. If it needs to be based on a true story to get you going, No.

Flamin' Hot is a 2023 American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Eva Longoria, about a Frito Lay janitor named Richard Montañez, who came up with the idea for Flaming Hot Cheetos.

This year has definitely been the year for inspirational biopics such as Tetris, Air and Blackberry and now this latest story - Flaming Hot is captivating, funny and heart warming.

The movie tells us about Montañez's life, his determination to make something of himself, his love and support for his neighbourhood and his family and the struggles along the way he faced.

The story is fresh and enjoyable with just enough drama to pull the viewer in. The cast was well chosen and the acting was spot on.

Does the fact that the story is not entirely true takes away the enjoyment of the movie?

Not in my opinion.

Could we truly call it a Biographical movie if its based on lies?

I leave this question to you.