The official trailer for the upcoming biographical comedy-drama Flamin’ Hot teases a spicy cinematic treat as it tells the tale of Richard Montañez, a janitor who claimed to have invented "Flamin’ Hot Cheetos". Released courtesy of Searchlight Pictures, Flamin’ Hot sees Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria behind the camera and making her feature directorial debut. Check out the trailer for Flamin’ Hot below.
Flamin’ Hot tells the inspiring true story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia), the Frito-Lay janitor who channeled his Mexican American heritage and upbringing to turn the iconic Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into a snack that disrupted the food industry and became a global pop culture phenomenon.
Flamin’ Hot stars Jesse Garcia as Richard Montañez and Annie Gonzalez as Judy Montañez, Richard's wife. The rest of the cast includes Dennis Haysbert, Emilio Rivera, Matt Walsh, Pepe Serna, Bobby Soto, Jimmy Gonzales, Brice Gonzalez, Vanessa Martinez, Fabian Alomar, Mario Ponce, Hunter Jones, and Tony Shalhoub.
Directed by Eva Longoria, written by Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette, and based on the memoir A Boy, a Burrito and a Cookie: From Janitor to Executive by Richard Montañez, Longoria reportedly tapped Colick for her authentic voice that depicts the Mexican American experience, and best executes her vision for a comedic, effervescent, and uplifting version of Montañez’s story.
Flamin’ Hot Now Sits at 72% On Rotten Tomatoes
Flamin' Hot has already had its world premiere, debuting at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival last month and winning the Audience Award and critics’ hearts in the process. Thanks to this, we already have some early reactions to the biographical comedy-drama, and Flamin' Hot is looking very tasty indeed and is currently fresh at 72% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.
TheWrap’s Lex Briscuso praised Eva Longoria’s directorial feature debut and her approach to the subject, using the creation of the Flamin' Hot food to address more universal, topical matters. “The movie is as much a love letter to the notion that our identities are our strength and it’s the one “Flamin’ Hot” needs in order to work,” the review from TheWrap reads. “Thankfully, the genuine energy of Longoria’s first feature makes for an engaging and empowering watch.”
Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter once again heaps praise on Longoria, and calls Flamin’ Hot “an utterly delightful rags-to-riches story that should appeal to anyone in need of uplifting. Superbly directed by Eva Longoria, this equally amusing and affecting film defies expectations as much as its main character.” The praise continues courtesy of Variety’s Peter Debruge, who applauds not only Longoria, but the script penned by Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette Chávez too. “Americans love corn, and “Desperate Housewives” star-turned-director Eva Longoria serves it up rich and tasty in her feature debut, scripted by Linda Yvette Chávez and Lewis Colick,” the reaction reads.
Flamin’ Hot is set to stream on Disney+ and Hulu from June 9, 2023, marking the first time a feature film has been made available on both platforms at the same time.