“Flamin’ Hot” is the latest film from Searchlight Pictures and tells the true story of Richard Montanez, who is the son of a Mexican immigrant, and was a janitor at a Frito Lay factory, but when business was down, he came up with the idea for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. His creation, which was inspired by the flavours of his community, revitalises Frito-Lay and disrupts the food industry forever.

This film stars Jesse Garcia as the lovable rogue, Richard Montanez, who is just trying to do the best for his family, but life just continues to knock him down.    The film was directed by Eva Longoria, who you might know as one of the stars of “Desperate Housewives”.

I really enjoyed “Flamin’ Hot”; it’s a lovely feel-good story about a family, just trying its best to get by, which almost everyone can relate to.  Jesse Garcia is fantastic at playing Richard, as he’s just so likeable.  There were several occasions I did chuckle at him retelling stories of what happened, because it felt very similar to how Michael Peña would explain stories as Luis in the Marvel “Ant-Man” films.   Sometimes it feels a little too stereotypical, but it’s still very enjoyable, if a bit predictable.

Also starring in the film is Annie Gonzalez, who plays Richard’s wife, Judy, who really helps bring the heart and soul to the film, pulling Richard in when needed and giving him the support he needs to be better.

Much like a bag of Doritos, this is a fast-paced snack of a movie, coming in at just over 90 minutes, so it gets straight to the point pretty quickly, though it probably could have had a little more trimming here and there.  But it still delivered plenty of laughs and feel-good moments along the way.

“Flamin’ Hot” will break some new boundaries, as it will be the first film to be released simultaneously on both Hulu and Disney+ in the United States simultaneously.  While this film is only rated PG13, it does have references to drug selling and criminal activities, so it’s a bit of a step up in terms of maturity for a Disney+ Original film.   Honestly, this film could have easily been released in cinemas, rather than directly onto streaming services, because it’s easily good enough.  This is a low-budget film, but it showcases why Searchlight Pictures is such a great addition to Walt Disney Studios. It offers something fresh and different, especially compared to the usual flood of prequels, sequels and live-action remakes.  “Flamin’ Hot” isn’t going to set the world of cinema on fire, but there’s something rather satisfying about sitting down and getting a fresh new story delivered, without it being a stretched-out limited series, as often a shorter film just hits the spot better!

As you might expect from any biopic, there are elements of the film, which may not be true, Frito-Lay say the story didn’t exactly go down how Richard tells it, but when it comes to Hollywood, why let facts get in the way of a good story.

“Flamin’ Hot” is a really enjoyable family film, about a guy, who just wants to provide for his family, and when he gets an idea, he runs with it, regardless of worrying about what might happen.  It’s a heartwarming underdog story and an easy recommendation.

Rating – 4 Out Of 5

“Flamin’ Hot” comes to Hulu and Disney+ on Friday 9th June 2023

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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